When realities collide
by Ripso
Summary: Some physicists say every time you make a decision, a new universe forms where the past is identical but you choose a different outcome. Does that mean there are infinite universes? Yes, more than you can ever imagine. And what happens if two of them somehow meet? Funny you ask, there is a story about that…
1. Introduction

**When realities collide Information tab**

 **Story progress:**

On-going

* * *

 **News** **/ announcements**

 **18.07.2018** : Story started, Chapter 0 (Introduction) & 1 (When realities collide Part 1) published.

 **18.08.2018** : Chapter 2 (When realities collide Part 2) published.

 **07.09.2018** : Chapter 3 (Culture shock Part 1) published.

 **05.10.2018** : Chapter 4 (Culture shock Part 2) published.

 **25.10.2018** : Chapter 5 (Repaying the debt Part 1) published & Created a discord server! Check author's notes below.

 **18.11.2018** : Chapter 6 (Repaying the debt Part 2) published.

 **07.12.2018** : Chapter 7 (Repaying the debt Part 3) published.

 **24.12.2018** : Chapter 8 (Getting to know the people Part 1) published & Restructured the information tab.

 **25.12.2018** : Chapter 9 (Getting to know the people Part 2) published.

 **26.12.2018** : Chapter 10 (Getting to know the people Part 3) published.

 **27.12.2018** : Chapter 11 (Getting to know the people Part 4) published.

 **30.01.2019** : Chapter 12 (Let's get the ball rolling) published.

 **15** **.0** **2** **.2019** : Chapter 13 (Operation: Rising Star Part 1) published.

 **08** **.0** **3** **.2019** : Chapter 14 (Operation: Rising Star Part 2) published.

 **02** **.04** **.2019** : Chapter 15 (Operation: Rising Star Part 3) published.

 **10.04.2019** : Chapter 16 (Insurance for extra dimensional damage?) published.

* * *

 **Changelog for chapters**

 **25.10.2018** _When realities collide Part 1_ : Minor changes to radio exchanges to be more aligned with radio protocol. Not really worth a re-read.

* * *

 **Author's notes**

 **18.08.2018** : Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows! The story managed a way better start than I was hoping for. I've been vaguely following this site over the years, so I know monster's attitude does not represent the community as a whole. To be honest it made me laugh in the middle of the night when I got his review, so thank you for that monster, I love it when people get salty over things like this! Anyways, next chapter is up.

 **05.10.2018** : I decided to add the date of every uploaded chapter for future references.

 **25.10.2018** : So I've been doing some digging around the site and failed to find something like this, if it exists and just somehow avoided me please contact me so I can delete mine. But regarding the topic, I was thinking and realized most archives have active communities, which is great but from my experience what the site offers is not exactly fluent when it comes to person to person interactions. I realized that Discord is basically just that, a community building / maintaining platform, and since it is pretty widespread, most of us probably use it or at least heard of it. I was bored so I decided to create one for this archive. Right now, it is really basic, and to be honest I have no idea how useful it is, but it is there. If you are interested check my profile for the invite link.

 **24.12.2018**

First off, Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it in case I won't be updating tomorrow!

Restructured the information tab because by now those who were interested in the story already checked it out, and the regular visitors are probably more curious for the changelogs and news rather than who I am. Of course they are still available at the bottom.

It is now almost the end of the year, and looking back I'd say I managed pretty good with a 1 chapter / month average knowing myself. Of course I'll try to be more frequent, however the reason I'm typing this is because of two things. One, Christmas and New Year is coming, which means I'll be extra busy. Two, exams are well underway which cuts my free time drastically. However, I don't want to keep anyone waiting, so to make up for that uncertain period (sort of) I'm going to publish the next story segment in rapid succession (compared to my regular upload schedule.)

 **T** **8ECR34T0R** : Interesting indeed! After reading yours, I must agree it really does share common themes. Looks like we have a similar train of thought when it comes to this kind of setting.

 **27.12.2018** : And that concludes the next story segment, at first this was supposed to be one larger chapter but I realized I should probably flesh out the characters a bit before we get into the 'juicy' explosion parts. Expect the next chapter somewhere around mid to late January. So Happy New Year in advance!

 **30.01.2019** : I hope the first month of 2019 was great for everyone! Looking forward what this year will bring us. Next chapter will be out in about one or two weeks.

 **08** **.0** **3** **.2019** : This release was not really timed for this but I'll use the opportunity non the less. Happy International Women's Day to every proud woman, be that a sister, a mother, a wife, a co-worker or just a friend.

* * *

 **Explanations**

 **AU**

Astronomical unit, a measurement of distance in space usually used inside star systems. The average distance between the Sun and Earth.

 **Light year**

Distance measurement. This is the distance light can travel in one year. Mostly used in interstellar or intergalactic space.

 **Parsec**

Another measurement of distance. It is calculated via the use of triangles and its geometry in 3D space. Although less popular in science fiction, a parsec is commonly used to define a distance (not time like Hans Solo said) between star systems. One parsec is roughly 3.3 light years.

 **Rim, core, spinward and trailing**

Galactic directions to position a solar system within the galaxy. A reference point is given, which is the starting position from which we track the route to the selected system. Coreward means towards the galactic core, rimward is towards the rim or edge of the galaxy. Spinward is following the spin motion of the galaxy, trailing is the reverse.

 **DRADIS**

( ** _D_** irection, **_RA_** nge, and **_DIS_** tance) Is a more sophisticated RADAR technology able to detect space vessels as well as particular chemical and elemental compounds.

 **FTL**

Faster Than Light, this term is mostly used in travel and communications, allowing for information and matter to travel almost instantly disregarding astronomical distances.

 **FTL Drive, Jump drive**

This method of travel allows immediate "jumps" between two points in space. The destination must be calculated and the jump location is determined by a fix set of coordinates. These are important, because without valid coordinates, it is possible to jump inside a planet, star or another ship. Jumping without calculation is called a blind jump and is used as a last resort in case of a life or death emergency.

 **FTL Drive, Warp drive**

Another FTL method. This drive expands the space behind the vessel and contracts it in front, moving the ship through space. There is no known limit how fast space itself can be stretched, thus allowing for FTL transportation without breaking any laws since the ship is practically staying in one place.

 **KEW**

Kinetic Energy Weapon. A fancy name for cannons and autocannons, these weapons deliver damage via the use of kinetic energy as opposed to particle energy.

 **Raptor**

An all-round spaceship mostly used as a troop or cargo transport, recon craft, tactical bomber or electronic warfare ship. The workhorse and backbone of the Avian civilization since the unification.

 **SAR**

Search and Rescue team.

 **Viper Mark II**

Primary and the most numerous military fighter. Outfitted with two kinetic guns as well as three powerful thrusters, the Viper is only limited by what it's pilot can endure in terms of mobility. Unless modified these fighters don't carry FTL drives.

 **Battlestar**

The main part of the fleet, battlestars are a mix between carriers and capital warships. Made up from three segments, that being the engines, flight pods and hangar bays, as well as the iconic alligator head bow. Depending on class, weapon arsenals can vary. However, every battlestar has special magnetic launch tubes all along their hull, giving them the ability to rapidly deploy squadrons of vipers in a moment's notice.

 **CIC**

Combat Information Center. The bridge of spaceships, all information gets processed here, commands are given from this point and this is where the steering, damage & life support control is done.

 **XO**

Executive Officer. Second in command of a space vessel. Their job is to coordinate the ship's crew and perform administrative duties, allowing the commanding officer to deal with broader issues affecting the entire ship or fleet.

 **CAG**

Commander Air Group. This position is filled by an individual with the rank of Captain or higher. They oversee a ship's Viper and Raptor compliment, their pilots, equipment, maintenance and training. They are also involved in planning which involves the use of strike craft.

 **MIA, KIA**

Missing in action and Killed in action.

 **RCS**

Reaction Control System, it is used by spacecrafts to provide control over all three axis of rotation.

 **SAM**

Surface to Air missile.

* * *

 **The writer**

Welcome fellow readers and writers to my first attempt at a Rio fanfiction. I am by no means an experienced writer, although I do have one story on this website on another fandom, so I know the basics how this should work in theory. Despite this, sometimes I still manage to mess up the double space between paragraphs thing…

I lost my touch for writing two years ago due to school and other factors but now with summer break time I decided to try once again. (Planning to finish the other story as well) I mostly write when I have the free time to do so and feel creative. These stories (for now) are not fully planned out (only the really basic outline is done), whatever I feel like writing on that particular day will progress them further. There will be no fix update schedule because writer's block likes to hang out here really frequently.

Please keep in mind English is not my primary language, and with the lack of a beta reader I apologize for any grammatic mistakes I make. (Spelling should be covered by my text editor but you can never be sure.)

On that note, I will not demand it but reviews are always welcome. If you have any constructive criticism feel free to write it down, if you like the story and want to tell me that's awesome. You hate it? Fantastic, bring it on! You wish to remain silent? That is OK too.

* * *

 **The story**

I'm a huge fan of Sci-fi in general, and Rio has been a favorite movie of mine for a long time. I had drafts for this as far back as 2015, but never really perfected them since I had another story I actively worked on. At first I was considering placing this as a crossover with Battlestar Galactica (The reimagined series), but since I will take inspiration from other Sci-fi sources as well, might as well put it just as a regular story of its own. Seeing as self inserts are popular on the website, I decided to try it myself, but I will be trying to avoid Mary Sue characters if possible to do so.

This will be an alternate universe with Rio as its base. In this universe, humans never evolved on Earth and only avian species dominate the planet with mostly human origin technology (Sorry, characters like Luiz or Mauro are not planned in this story, unless I recreate them as birds at some point). Birds only wear clothes when necessary, like flight suits, scuba gear, armor etc. or for special occasions. On the other hand, many birds will carry a smaller kind of fanny pack we see Blu carry to place important items like phones inside them.

The story will probably be rated T for safety reasons, as I might occasionally slip in a few vulgar words here and there where the situation would typically make an adult react in such a way.

* * *

 **Chapter length**

I'm not 100% sure how important chapter length is for people here, but I already wrote up some of the story, and after I average it out I get about ~3,300 words / chapter. So that should be an indicator about what to expect I guess. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

* * *

 **The Information tab**

Now you may be asking, what is this wall of text, where is the story?! Well I'm currently experimenting with a layout format which should cover everything you need to know in a neat way, at least that's the plan.

The information tab is the very first chapter, this contains the story's preface (this), introduction as well as being the primary communication place between me and you (the readers). Author's notes (exception to this are really short ones that are deeply connected with the chapter), replies to reviews, explanations, changelogs to chapters and their updates etc. will be written here, all in chronological order to hopefully avoid spoilers for future readers.

Underneath the information tab will be the introduction chapter, this will introduce you to the world and its brief history, get you up to speed and give some context to work with. One more chapter will follow this one right away if all goes well. The second chapter will be the actual first chapter of this story.

Since I use elements from different Sci-fi, unfamiliar words or concepts might require a google search to understand, picture correctly for those who are not too familiar with Sci-fi. I will add short explanations on the info tab which I believe has the potential to cause issues.

* * *

 **Chapter 0**

World Introduction

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Earth is ruled by various avian species, long descendants of the mighty dinosaurs who once roamed this world. Like them, birds were aggressive, territorial but most importantly, intelligent. Unlike dinosaurs who acted on instinct, birds evolved sentience, which later gave rise to morals to help guide their society, but as time passed and technology improved these constructs influenced their decisions less land less, the primal instincts attempted to overpower them, turning their modern technological utopia back towards the savage old ways of nature.

Once birds split the first atom, their world became a ticking time bomb. Now, a tiny political mistake was enough to ignite everything they hold so dear to their hearts. At the end they held, not by much, but held for just the right amount of time until their world was ready to take the next big step towards progress, which meant global cooperation. A secret group realized the dangers of technology and forged a contingency plan for decades. In less than a few years, their agents obtained every key political, military and economic position across the world and their nations. Earth was now in their hands within the shadows to command and control.

In the august of 2030, avian history's largest and most coordinated military coup began with incredible efficiency. In less than a day, they seized control over the entire planet. After this, it took over ten years to fully sort out the issues that were prevalent for centuries before. There were instances where the forced change was met with heavy resistance, which did result in casualties. At the end they managed to accomplish something no person or group in the history of bird kind could ever do… they unified the world's governments under a single banner.

From that point onward, every nation was allowed to keep their country and governments, with the condition of un questionable obedience to the United Nations regarding global matters. A true golden age started, and birds used it to their full potential. By 2040, Earth's resources nearly depleted, and avian society began to look towards the stars. Previously space was thought to be an expensive non-profitable end, but all that changed with the invention of two life changing technologies. Artificial gravity and faster than light travel.

Birds explored everything they could land a bird, robot or camera on. As time went on, FTL and gravity became more powerful and compact. In a moment's notice, the civil department blasted into space, creating mining operations, expeditions beyond explored space, and space tourism.

Of course, Hollywood and Sci-fi left a big mark on society, so it came as no surprise when the United Nations voted the formation of the Avian Alliance and Fleet, dedicated in one purpose only, to fight and defend Earth and all her future colonies from any external or internal threat. Fighter jets were upgraded for outer space combat, but they soon realized maintaining a large quantity of small vessels had more problems than was previously thought. The FTL drives were too short ranged, as bigger drives would decrease maneuverability, as well as the fact that they required to be docked in spaceports when not in active use. Due to this, the Avian Alliance limited the fleet size, believing that space might just be an empty void.

Expeditions were carried out into deep interstellar space, with the intent to survey alien planets. Within a year, they managed to find two planets which were in close proximity of each other, the conditions almost perfectly mimicking that of Earth. The very first set of colony ships had begun construction, each planned to house over 200,000 birds, who will be the brave pioneers to settle on an alien world, beginning a new chapter in avian history.

But fate had other plans, and this dream was shattered in a matter of days. The very first colony ship of avianity, called New Horizons was getting ready to depart the Sol system in March 4th, 2045. This was also the day avian society's understanding and viewpoint of aliens changed forever. The day began as usual, until the Titan shipyard detected an unknown anomaly over Saturn's moon. After closer examination avianity was shocked. A non-avian engineered ship made contact, but the information it shared was more than terrifying for them.

The ship belonged to an artificial race named the Entirians who have emerged as the top empire in a neighboring star cluster. They had been fighting an ancient reptilian species who call themselves The Shawax, who achieved intergalactic travel and enslave or exterminate technologically inferior species for resources and technology. The Entirians lost their home world after a savage and terrible defensive war that lasted for over two hundred years.

Knowing they have lost, they built swarms of Messengers, small vessels with information regarding the Shawax, hoping they could warn the unsuspecting civilizations of the Milky Way about the dangers before it's too late. After three days of orbit around Titan, Earth got in contact with the first Shawax in their history. A light destroyer which has been chasing the Messenger probe. Without attempting any communication, the warship began a full-scale attack against the unprepared shipyard.

The Alliance responded immediately but could barely inflict any amount of damage on the enemy vessel. It was like throwing pebbles at a fully armored tank. By the end of the sudden five-minute engagement, the Avian Defense Fleet was decimated, losing more than three hundred brave souls, and completely destroying the Alliance's most outer base of operation.

Back on Earth, panic erupted as the news spread like wildfire on the internet. Before their society could fully recover from the sudden shock, a smaller scout fleet warped around the Moon. Luna base was destroyed by thermonuclear bombs within the first few minutes, after which they targeted the planet's satellite network.

Earth was left deaf, blind and crippled, as the GPS and other communication networks were destroyed in the initial attack. The president of the Alliance ordered a contingency plan and the immediate launch of New Horizons, which managed to escape the assault by mere seconds. Orbital bombardment destroyed major population centers, metropolis after metropolis fell, the casualties reaching the billions. The Hollywood style alien invasion began… in real life.

The Alliance as well as the UN had been forced to do guerrilla warfare against the invading force. Months of non-stop fighting, and avian civilization was almost on its knees, helpless to stop the invading forces. But the aliens made one grave mistake, they did not attempt to destroy New Horizons, which managed to smuggle the Entirian messenger probe on board.

While Earth was engulfed in an all out total war, New Horizons arrived safely in Procyon, and claimed the world as their own, later naming it Eden. A military division consisting of over two hundred scientists and engineers of various fields worked tirelessly to find a way to effectively stop the Shawax. After weeks of development and testing, the previously primitive kinetic weapons were upgraded and brought to Anti Shawax war standards.

For the next two months, Eden manufactured enough hand and vehicle weapons to outfit the remaining Avian military back on Earth. In a bold mission, they managed to smuggle the hardware back to their home world in secret. In a perfect moment to strike, the remaining nuclear arsenal which had the total firepower of about 1750 megatons was fired at low Earth orbit.

This caught the Shawax by surprise, decimating their orbital fleet, losing them the control over space. A long and painful one-year campaign began, after which Earth turned out victorious. But everyone knew very well that the force that almost destroyed their civilization was merely a scout group that got a little too cocky. The newly founded Eden allocated many of its resources to rebuild Earth as fast as possible. Once the planet got back to speed, the majority of resources were redirected for military research and ship manufacturing.

For the first time in decades more than 80% of Avian yearly budget was spent on the military. Several improvements were introduced to the fleet. Heavy lifting but versatile Raptors were able to speed up logistics and general transportation, allowing for quick expansion across interstellar space. The mark 1 Viper was introduced, armed with light but powerful kinetic weapons, enabling birds to do fast tactical strikes both in atmosphere and space. Due to the lack of FTL drives, a complementary vessel had to be created to house these sophisticated fighters.

A year after Avianity's victory, the very first generation of avian space warships were finished, and with that the first Valkyrie class battlestars were brought into service, serving as capital warships with the added benefits of carriers. The Shawax had no idea what they have just unleashed. The previously newly pacifistic race which had to keep its aggressiveness under control to avoid their own destruction was angered. And now they had someone else to point their powerful guns at. And that they gladly did.


	2. When realities collide Part 1

**Chapter 1**

When realities collide Part 1

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

The Milky Way galaxy, Orion-Cygnus arm, Unnamed system, 4.2 parsecs rimward from Omicron Persei, March 17, 2062

Dead silence ruled this part of cold space. The only visible source of light emitted by the far away star of the system. Asteroids and planetoids flew with extreme speeds around this asteroid belt. But something invisible to the naked eye navigated between these rocks, unknown to anyone observing the belt from outside.

Two lone stealth ships roamed through the belt, using the space rocks to blend in. The cockpit's lights were turned off as well as the main engines, hiding the ships completely from sight. Their only communication was short ranged low frequency radio. This allowed the crafts to communicate while their signals were filtered out by the background radiation of the universe.

"So, tell me, why are we here again?" The second ship's pilot spoke on the wireless, boredom evident in his voice thanks to the uneventful happenings between the rocks.

The first pilot chuckled. "You were focusing on Selena instead of the mission briefing again, weren't you? Cassidy, brief him please." Commanding to an unknown third person.

" _Apparently there was a secret military project under development on one of the moons of this gas giant not too far away. Since the Shawax took over the system, we need to locate the scientists and their cargo and get them back to Avian space as soon as possible._ " A synthetic female voice finished, as the two ships flew near the edge of the asteroid belt.

"I guess it has to be quite valuable if they sent four Mercury battlestars to cover our asses in case of an emergency." The second pilot commented. The crafts stopped at the edge of the belt and activated their long-range passive scans. Waves of high energy particles moved across the black void at the speed of light, bouncing back from every surface they came in contact with, altering their energy levels which allowed for very accurate analysis of said object. After a five-minute sweep, they managed to gather enough data to continue their mission. The first pilot spoke up.

"Alright, were leaving the belt, the distance to our first objective is one and a half astronomical units. We won't have any cover, so set the ship on full stealth. We should be arriving there in 20 minutes. Cut off all communications until we arrive to orbit." The second pilot acknowledged and did as he was told. The ships engines gave off a quick burst of light as they accelerated and began to travel to their destination, leaving the safety of the asteroid belt behind in total silence.

* * *

Omicron Persei star system, Battlestar Memphis CIC

"Admiral, our recovery unit just left the asteroid belt and began to proceed to their objective. They should arrive in approximately twenty minutes. The Shawax has not shown any sign of knowing our ships presence from their scans." The XO spoke, a female Puffin known as Colonel Susan Grey of the Battlestar Memphis reported to a Tawny Eagle listening to the name of Admiral George Ford.

"Good. Let's hope it stays that way. This mission is far too important to screw up. I'd be more relaxed if the administration gave us more carriers just in case things get out of hand." The admiral replied, while watching the 3D hologram DRADIS map in the center of CIC.

* * *

Recovery team

The two small ships entered the orbit of the medium sized moon. It was the size of Venus, but due to it being gravitationally bound to a brilliant emerald gas giant, it was classified as a moon. It's surface mostly barren, small patches of white existed at the poles. Although birds associate it with ice, due to the temperature experienced on the surface, water would be rock solid. Instead, the white substance was frozen methane. After adjusting their speed to remain on orbital course, they split up and scanned the world's surface with their passive scans, making sure not to attract any unwanted attention while doing so. The second ship successfully located the underground base, which had a specific marker placed on the surface. While it looked natural, specific geometrical shapes were strategically placed in order to locate it. After meeting up with its partner, they began to ascend to the surface.

Once low enough, the dense atmosphere gave a brilliant light blue hue to the sky, illuminated by the currently setting bright blue sun on its horizon. Although the moon was barren from life, the liquid methane formed oceans and lakes as far was the eye could see. After flying over a mountain range at least twice as high as Everest on Earth, they received an intelligent communication broadcast. Their internal computers flared up after detecting multiple missile lock on devices.

... _Attention unknown aircraft, this is Omega Three! State your operation code or prepare to be fired upon! This is a militarized zone belonging to the Avian Alliance! Over_ ...

"Omega Three, this is Raptor 707, operation code is 337401RE. Emergency extraction from Battle Group 22, requesting permission to land, over." Both spacecraft slowed down their speed while waiting for approval.

… _Raptor 707, this is Omega Three. Operation code accepted. Authorization is granted for landing pad C1. Welcome to Nyota Research Base. Omega three out_ …

Previously invisible lights flared up in the distance, revealing a hidden entrance. The flat but bulky metal doors slowly opened up, showing a silver pad a few meters below the ground level. The raptors flew towards the landing pad, opening their landing gears and gently touching down on the ground before turning off the engines. The moving platform transported them underground, the two gigantic metal doors sealing them from the harsh conditions outside. During their descent, at first the only view they had was concrete walls with bright lights on their sides. As they moved lower and lower, they caught the first glimpse of the research base. Hundreds of automated vehicles moving around, carrying supplies, equipment and other accessories.

Once the pad stopped moving, the ships adjusted the pressure difference, and the doors opened up to the outside air. The staff has already gathered together, standing in the hangar bay, saluting the just arrived pilots. There were only five or six birds in total, which was extremely weird looking at the size of this base. The pilots returned the salute. After a few seconds of silence, a fairly young and attractive female Spix macaw separated from the group and walked closer to them. The gentle voice was a blessing after the hours of computer and electronic equipment beeping for the two pilots. "Gentlemen, I'm Lieutenant Alena Redwood. I assume you are our transport home, correct?" She introduced herself.

"You are correct Lieutenant Redwood. Is the package the Alliance requested secured?" The first raptor's pilot spoke up, leaving his position, walking towards the back of the hangar, looking around for this mysterious package. The second pilot as well as the Lieutenant followed him, while the other group split up and walked to unknown places.

"Yes, it is secured and ready for transportation. The news hit us by surprise, so we had to pack up whatever we needed the most. A special insulator is wrapped around the device, it is not optimal but the best we could come up with in such a short notice." The blue macaw replied, showing the two pilots the way. She took the lead quickly as she knew exactly how to navigate at the seemingly endless maze of containers, crates and equipment.

"Pardon me for asking, but your name is really familiar to me. Do you happen to be the daughter of John Redwood, inventor of the FTL drive?" The first pilot asked the lieutenant, attempting to spark a conversation while they navigated the maze.

"Yes, you are correct. This very project had to do with his research, he was a big part of it until the assault back at Starford Base." The female replied, but not fully finishing the sentence. There was no need, because the news was worldwide at the time. The pilot felt guilt, he was stupid to ask such a question. "I'm sorry for your lose. I didn't have the privilege to meet him, but I heard he was a fine man who did great service to the Alliance military."

"Don't be. Just like you and me, he knew exactly what the dangers were. He always told me to be strong and to never give up. I want to honor him, if not on the battlefield then by finishing what he started." Alena replied, although she tried her best to remain professional, slight signs of sadness coated her voice, but that was totally understandable. Silence followed after for a good minute, until they arrived at the supposed location. The macaw pointed her index feather towards a relatively big container. The pilots stepped forward, examining its dimensions.

"Wow, we aren't fitting that in my raptor." The second pilot stated, closely observing the dimensions. He knew his partner was tasked with the package, and so decided to walk back the other direction in order to assist some of the staff in loading up the necessary hardware to his own ship.

"You don't say Mr. Einstein…" The other pilot spoke, sarcasm in his voice. "Well I guess we will have to attach it to the raptor externally then."

The group turned back, the first pilot went inside his ship to calibrate the thrusters for the extra mass. Meanwhile some of the staff brought magnetic seals to attach the container and move it next to the hangar for easy access. After twenty minutes everyone successfully loaded everything and boarded the second raptor, preparing to leave this facility ASAP.

"Alright, we are full. Get yourself in the air, attach that container and let's get going. The Shawax won't wait long until they scan this part of the system. And I don't want to be here without my viper." The second pilot spoke to his partner, urging him to pick up the pace.

The first raptor lifted off the ground and hovered over the now fully secured container. Once it got low enough the magnetic seals grabbed on attaching it with a click sound. At first the raptor lost balance, but as soon as the navigation program began to counter the extra mass the ship stabilized itself in the air.

"Alright, let's get going, shall we? I bet I can still get to rendezvous point with this heavy cargo before you Striker." The first pilot challenged his partner who is now called Striker, who gladly accepted it, a smirk on his face was visible.

"Oh, you're on Ripso. Last one to land pays the first round!" The two ships left the underground base and quickly escaped the moon's atmosphere within minutes. Once they were out of orbit, the research staff looked out and could see the moon in all of its glory. The now completely set sun illuminated the edge of the moon, giving it a beautiful blue glowing ring.

The pilots had no time to enjoy such luxuries, instead they activated their ship's stealth mode and began to accelerate to fast sublight speeds towards the previous asteroid belt. The orb grew smaller and smaller until it became just a white dot in the vast emptiness of space.

"So…" Ripso spoke up, grabbing the attention of everyone via the radio.

"Can we get a little information about this project? We know it's classified, but my partner and I need to know if it will blow us up or turn us into a giant feather in space." Ripso tried to ease up the mood. Clearly the researchers were not used to the pressure and stress of being in enemy space all alone with no clear objective. Alena answered his question, a small laugh escaping her after the joke.

"Hah! No, it won't blow you up nor turn you into a feather... But you may meet yourself if you play with it." Ripso eyed the macaw from the screen with a puzzled expression. The blue macaw continued after seeing the pilot not understanding what she said.

"Long story short, this device can create a breach in the fabric of the universe to create a passage to another reality. To which exactly remains unknown, as we did no tests with the new version." Alena replied, pleased to see the puzzled expression gone from the military pilot. However, that was replaced with one of mild shock.

"The Battlestar Picon…" Striker said, his thoughts trailing away.

"Please tell me this is some kind of a joke. The Alliance authorized a research in extra dimensional physics? And you made a freaking portal module out of it? Even after Picon? My god, what did we get ourselves into?" Ripso replied, not believing what he just heard. His partner chimed in.

"We're better of detaching and blowing it up to pieces. I just hope the Alliance knows what it is doing." Striker spoke, not too fond of the information himself. The ships crews were silent for the upcoming minutes, eyes glued to various screens.

In a moment's notice, both ships energy got cut off while their momentum continued to fly them through space with no control. The pilots as well as their passengers began to check every system why the malfunction happened.

"Our power is cut off?! How did this happen?" A scientist asked, getting extremely nervous, continuously looking outside the windows but failing to see anything significant.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Ripso spoke under his breath, hoping no one heard him. A few seconds later the power came back.

 _"The power outage is likely the result of some sort of space time fluctuation. Origin is currently unknown, attempting to reboot raptor systems."_ CASSIDY informed the recovery team and managed to bring both vessels online in the same time a few seconds later.

The screens immediately started flashing red, displaying warning messages as the speakers beeped, grabbing everyone's attention. The ships automatically left stealth mode and accelerated while scanning their surroundings. Five strange looking vessels appeared in close proximity, close enough to get a good look at them. A central sphere was covered by forward facing missile launchers. Two triangle shaped wings connecting to the main structure from either side, housing hundreds of arrow shaped crafts which began pouring like wasps from a nest. At every wing's end six thrusters fired up, moving the gigantic ships towards the raptors.

"DRADIS CONTACT! Five Shawax battleships warped right next to us! Our FTL is down for six minutes! 50 missiles detected accompanied by 150 fighters! Cassidy, contact the emergency response team right now!" Striker yelled in the microphone while changing the raptor's course to evade the incoming swarm of missiles and fighters seemingly coming out of nowhere.

* * *

Battlestar Memphis CIC

"Admiral! Recovery team AI is reporting via relay network, their position has been compromised. Five battleships are in pursuit with at least 150 fighters." The XO informed Ford, who immediately asked. "How were they spotted?!"

"The warships warped right next to them, close enough to detect their signatures. Data suggest it was not a combat jump. Recovery team got affected by space time fluctuations, their FTL is down. I think this is what we would call bad luck."

"Screw bad luck!" The admiral almost yelled.

"Action stations! Set condition one throughout the fleet, commence jump to our birds location. Tell the alert vipers to stand by. Athena stays here, when we get the raptor's vector she can jump in front of them." The admiral instructed. The crew of the CIC got to work immediately. The relative silence was instantly gone, replaced by the loud blaring alarm, alerting everyone on the ship to prepare for immediate combat.

… _Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill. Repeat: Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill_ …

The response ships broke formation from the rest of the fleet. In less than thirty seconds the three battlestars disappeared in a bright flash. The next moment all three warships materialized fourteen light years from their previous position at a moderate distance from their objective and targets. Activating their sublight engines the battlestars accelerated towards the battleships, trying to close the gap as fast as possible to get within firing range.

Six squadron worth of vipers ejected from the battlestars launch tubes with high speeds. As soon as they left their carriers the pilots arranged themselves in an offensive V formation and proceeded to attack the enemy fighters.

"Vipers are airborne and enroute to engage the enemy fighters sir." The XO informed.

"Good. How long till the battleships are within weapons range?"

"Two minutes. Attempting to establish connection with the Recovery team now… Vipers intercepting enemy fighters in ten seconds!"

* * *

Recovery team

The two stealth raptors continued to fly through space, trying to evade the pursuing fighters coming after them. Just before they got within weapon range and certain death, the viper squadrons intercepted and engaged the enemy fighters, entering a deadly dance with each other.

"Memphis this is Recovery team. Those vipers sure came in handy. However, twenty broke formation and continue to tail us, they are coming fast! Requesting permission to land on the Poseidon, over."

 _... Recovery team this is the Memphis. Weapons free, launch flare missiles and continue your route towards the direction you are going. Backup will jump in system within a minute. We will engage the battleships, do not approach us, Memphis out…_

* * *

Battlestar Memphis CIC

"Battleships within weapons range in five seconds. Our vipers are holding. So far we lost six ships, SAR team managed to recover all pilots. Recovery team is still under pursuit by enemy fighters, sir."

"They will have to wait until Battlestar Athena jumps in. Turn the ship 20 degrees pitch, I want all frontal weapons to face our first target. Set the top batteries to target the second battleship. All batteries switch to salvo fire. Engage once we get in range." The DRADIS screen beeped to get the attention of the whole CIC crew.

"Missile lock! Two battleships fired sixty missiles, twenty are nuclear."

"Activate flak field, launch the remaining squadrons, and get them to cover us while we proceed. Target the first battleship and fire!" The admiral ordered.

Countless small explosions lighted up the darkness of space around the battlestars, creating an almost impenetrable wall against missiles or any fighter unlucky enough to fly into it. The massive KEW rounds at the front of the Mercury class battlestars fired nine high velocity projectiles, cruising space with one third the speed of light.

The first two impacted the battleship's heavy armor, tearing it apart revealing the vulnerable structure underneath. The following five flew right inside, dealing tremendous damage, rendering the warship useless. The final two managed to fly though the target, hitting and damaging the second ship's left side, destroying several missile launchers in the process.

Meanwhile the Shawax missiles arrived near their target. Three forth were destroyed by the active flak field, while the remaining were picked off by vipers. Although one managed to get passed both defenses and was about to hit the Memphis.

"One nuke got through the defenses! Prepare for impact!" One of the CIC crew yelled. Sure enough, a massive explosion rocked the entire ship. Panels sparkled, while the holograms buzzed due to the interference. The detonation stripped away parts of the armor at the impact zone.

"Damage report!" Admiral Ford demanded, while helping a crew member get back up after falling to the floor due to the explosion.

"The detonation took out multiple flak cannons, damaged one of the main kinetic batteries as well as three viper launch tubes. Minor decompressions in section K7. Twenty birds are injured, six have confirmed radiation poisoning. DC teams are working on repairing the electronic damage as we speak." Grey reported the information as soon as she was able to read them.

"Status on Recovery team and Athena?"

"Athena will be jumping in any second now. Recovery team managed to dodge every incoming missile, but the fighters are still in pursuit… Sir, it can take Athena at least ten seconds to recover from the jump, she may not react fast enough to save the raptors." The XO informed Ford. A slight vibration rocked the ship as a smaller missile impacted the ship.

"I borrowed Striker and Ripso from Admiral Reil for this mission for a reason. They can handle the heat. Prepare the next shot with the remaining main KEW batteries. Move to target number two." The XO forwarded the command as told, while the admiral's eyes were glued to the DRADIS screen, observing the two raptors.

* * *

Recovery team

"They are gaining on us!" Striker examined, trying to speed up the raptor with no success.

"Is there anything we can do?" An assistant asked the pilots, feeling useless in a situation like this.

"As a matter of fact, yes! Use the mounted turret in the back. Not sure how much combat experience any of you have, just shoot at their general direction." Ripso replied, concentrating on evading the hostile crafts which are rapidly closing the distance.

Striker's raptor lowered a double Gatling gun turret from its back and began to shoot. Small lights flickered around the gun as hundreds of bullets made their way through space, trying to hit the enemy.

"Uh, I'd like to ask a question. I'm picking up activity inside the container. The device is operational again. And it's building up one hell of a charge! What should I do?" Ripso asked, observing the scan results, which indeed showed a spike in the energy readings around the ship.

"WHAT?! Oh no! The fluctuations must have fried the containment grid and now it's charging up! We need to get on board a battlestar and deactivate it before it discharges!" Alena stated over the radio, the seriousness clearly audible in her voice.

"That's dandy… Just what we needed. Got another energy spike… but I'm picking up a jump signature, something is jumping in!" Ripso informed, right after he said it, an additional Mercury jumped in front of them. This confused the enemy fighters but they recovered quickly and continued to follow their targets.

 _… Recovery team, this is the Battlestar Athena. Be advised a squadron is enroute to intercept your pursuers. Continue to advance towards us and initiate combat landing once in range of the left landing port, over ..._

"Athena this is Recovery team. Copy that, orders acknowledged. Proceeding to landing port A1, Recovery team out."

The alert vipers, Recovery raptors and Shawax fighters met at the same time, and as expected a massive dodge fight occurred. Six fighters pursued Striker but thanks to his experience and skills, he managed to dodge every shot and gave enough time for the vipers to shoot the fighters down. He wasted no time and aligned himself with the landing port, carefully docking inside the safety of the Athena.

"Damn it! Athena, this is Raptor 707. Four fighters and three transports cut me off! Can't get close to the landing port. Necessary engagement required! Over."

Ripso informed the Athena, while activating the raptor's close-range weapons to prepare for combat. Although his maneuverability has been decreased, he was still a dangerous opponent.

Meanwhile a few vipers were able to break off the dodge fight and boosted their way to assist the raptor. A fighter managed to fire a single rocket before being blasted to pieces by the raptor's cannons. The warhead reached its target and a reasonably large explosion rocked the craft, tearing off a side engine as well as the right wing's Gatling gun. The force spun the ship around its axis uncontrollably.

"Mayday, mayday. This is Raptor 707, I'm hit! The device is overloading, it can't take much more of this! Avionics are failing, three more hostiles on me! Over." Ripso yelled, trying to control the craft but it was useless. Nothing responded to his command, or if it did, the latency was several seconds long.

 _... Raptor 707 this is Blue Squadron leader, backup arriving in 5 seconds, hold on! ..._

The pilot managed to regain limited control over the craft. He changed course to intercept the enemy and meet up with the reinforcements. The remaining Gatling gun at the left wing bombarded the hostile crafts with small armor piercing bullets.

The fighter attempted to shoot a missile towards its target but failed. The incoming swarm of bullets pierced through the delicate ship, turning it into a ball of fire. Unknowingly to the pilot, the device reached critical charge, alerting the ship too late to fix the problem.

"Well shit." That was all Ripso could say over the radio, as the container overloaded. A small almost transparent orb grew around the raptor, enveloping the nearby remaining fighters, after which a blinding light lit up the darkness of space. The viper pilots looked away, shielding their eyes. A few seconds later the light died out and they were shocked to find nothing at the place where starships were moments ago. No debris in sight.

* * *

Battlestar Memphis CIC

"DRADIS contact! Ten battleships jumped in as reinforcements! Second target is crippled, but the Battlestar Poseidon received a serious blow. Her flak batteries were blown up, the remaining ones can only cover about 15 percent. We also picked up a rather big anomaly near the Athena…"

A low frequency humming noise ringed throughout the ship, consuming the interior with total darkness, as the mighty warship lost all power and maintaining its velocity drifted in space aimlessly. The CIC managed to activate the backup generators, regaining a dim source of light.

"What's going on here? Damage report!"

"Every battlestar, raptor and viper suffered a major power outage by the anomaly we picked up at Athena. We are drifting around like rocks." Grey reported, standing at the opposite end of the nonoperational hologram projector.

"What about the enemy? We're sitting ducks… How long till the battleships get within range?" Ford asked, holding onto the nearby table while his ship received small missile hits.

"Under 1-minute sir. We can't hold up so many battleships at once, but it appears they were affected just like us. DC teams reporting, power should be back any second now…" A crewmember reported but was interrupted by the radio.

 _... Memphis this is Athena. Three battleships jumped near our position, but we were all knocked out by EMP. Primary objective is half success. Requesting permission to jump once jump drive is operational, over …_

The admiral raised an 'eyebrow' at the strange question. "Athena specify, what do you mean 'half success'? Over."

 _… Striker delivered every personnel from base. However, the hardware as well as Raptor 707 has disappeared as result of this FTL anomaly. NO debris located in a twenty-kilometer area. Cassidy failed to respond to any call codes. We have no choice but to label Ripso as MIA, over …_

The CIC crew fell silent for a few seconds. Ford was deep in thought, not wanting to accept the news he just received. Meanwhile power got restored, and instantly he got interrupted when a loud alarm tore through the eerie silence.

"Remaining battleships are in range, 40 confirmed nukes inbound!" The XO reported, waiting orders. Another five second silence took over the room, everyone watching the inbound warheads on the hologram.

The admiral fought a separate battle in his mind. Grey was right, they won't be able to handle 40 nukes, but he never left anyone behind before. If he jumps out that will seriously hurt his reputation and pride in the admiral board. Ripso was one of the best pilots in the entire fleet. After a nerve racking five seconds, he decided the war assets and personnel were more important than his reputation.

"Recall all birds, prepare for emergency jump to the rendezvous coordinates. I want all avian ships out of here. Now." The admiral broke the silence. The CIC crew began the preparations for the jump.

"This is the Memphis to all ships. Recall vipers and proceed with the emergency jump. I repeat, proceed with the emergency jump. Memphis out." The XO forwarded the given orders. In the depths of space, every avian viper broke formation and quickly landed on their respective carriers. The nuclear payloads were only kilometers away at this point.

"All birds are in the nest admiral." Grey swiftly reported.

"Jump!" Ford ordered. All four battlestars disappeared with a bright flash, just in time to evade certain death, leaving the Shawax in dust to deal with their losses.


	3. When realities collide Part 2

**Chapter 2**

When realities collide Part 2

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Earth, Amazonian rainforest east coast, April 14, Unknown date

It was a peaceful day on the Atlantic coast near the Amazon River's delta. The skies were clear blue, free from the pollution which colored most of the planet. The Sun's rays were reflected by the thin layer of fresh and salt water mixed fog, coating the coastline with a mysterious but beautiful sight.

Not too far from the shore a few buildings stood close to each other, giving the feeling of a makeshift camp. All sorts of strange equipment were attached to the structures sides, making it look like a research base.

Birds of all kinds periodically flew in and out, carrying various tools with them. The base was full of life, with groups of birds studying the rainforest itself, while others were getting samples from the ground all the way to the air. On the top of the highest structure was a tower, its walls made out of mostly thick but clear glass. It resembled a communication room, with many monitors and TV's the size of billboards attached to the walls. A lone male Spix macaw stood in the center of this room, facing a big screen which displayed a strong but elegant female Peregrine falcon. Authority screaming from both their forms.

"Madame President, I am fully aware of the importance of this mission. But with the coming storm as well as the steadily dropping supplies I cannot risk my crew. We have done simulations and there is not one instance where the outcome will favor us. I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop the expedition and start packing up." The macaw informed, looking the falcon in the eye through the screen.

"Dr. Gunderson… We didn't send you to one of the last unpolluted parts of the planet to have a vacation. The government funded your research for years, and just as promised you made valuable breakthroughs with TI44. Our ancestor's actions have caused damages to this planet which will soon be irreversible. And the tension between the superpowers is not exactly helping with that."

"The Earth's biosphere and every bird's life depends on this. You will not leave until your team has found a deposit worthy enough of mining." The falcon said sternly, with a tone meaning she had the final word in the issue. Blu tried his best to hide his anger, and respecting her authority, he complied, even if he full heartedly disagreed with it. "Yes, Madame President. I shall launch the new search party first thing in the morning."

The falcon nodded once, closing the connection rendering the screen black for a moment, before it switched to different statistics and maps of the surrounding area. Blu rubbed his forehead with his wings, frustrated with the way the conversation just went.

A familiar female walked in the room, she too being a Spix macaw going by the name of Jewel, Blu's loving wife. She made her way towards his husband with quiet steps, before hugging him from behind. This caught him off guard but soon recovered and relaxed when he realized who it was.

"I guess we're staying here longer than expected huh?" She asked softly, ignoring the fact that she basically spied on the conversation. She turned him around and rested her head on his chest. Blu embraced her in a warm hug, closing his eyes, enjoying the moment.

"Yes. I'd like nothing more than to go home but looks like we can't just yet." After a few more seconds they let go of each other and walked next to the terminal. Blu typed and clicked until he got in contact with a longtime friend of his, a Toco Toucan by the name of Rafael.

"Hello Amigos! Just flying towards the last sample site, what's up?" He greeted his friends while flying through the forest with a few birds close to him, probably part of his team. Meanwhile the camera on his headset transmitted real time footage about what he's seeing, which happened to be just dense jungle foliage. Blu sighed before breaking the news.

"I just got out of a fight with the president, and let's just say it didn't end well. She forbids us to leave until we find a large enough deposit of TI44 to mine." He informed the toucan, who stopped dead in his tracks, practically floating in midair, trying to make sure what he heard was right.

"Did I hear it right? We can't go back?! But the storm will arrive in a few hours!" Rafael spoke out loud, shaking his head and continuing to flap his wings faster, determined to reach the camp as soon as possible. His team was confused but picked up the pace, keeping up with the toucan.

"I know… Once your team gets back, we'll talk." Blu replied, before cutting the connection. Jewel checked her phone to go through some reports, before she stumbled across something strange that she didn't see before.

"Blu, any news about Nice and Pedro's team? They haven't reported in for two days now." She asked, reading through their last report, which was sent from a location about 350 kilometers from the camp's location.

"Nope. I was just about to call them." Blu replied before starting another call, this time to two birds at once. After maybe ringing for half a minute, one of them picked up. Although the line was established, connection was poor with minor stuttering.

"Blu, Jewel! It's great to see you. Sorry about not calling, it was pretty much impossible to get satellite signal at this part of the jungle." A yellow canary named Nico greeted the blue macaws. In the background about 5 birds could be seen resting, their equipment strapped to a nearby branch to make sure it will not fall off. The jungle floor is a deadly place for any bird to be.

"Where is Pedro?" Jewel asked, not finding the iconic cardinal anywhere on the screen. It was a rare sight to see these two birds not in close proximity with each other. Nico looked back at the group before laughing.

"Oh, he's snoozing right now. He wanted to prove something about his weight, so he tried to do some acrobatic stunts, got himself knocked out instead." Both macaws laughed after hearing the story, but Blu regained his composure and turned a serious face to address the issues at hand.

"Nico, I got some bad news. The government won't let us leave without TI44. We're going to have to bunker down. Please hurry up, this hurricane looks like a nasty one." The previously happy and excited canary turned into a serious bird just like Blu.

"Oh dang it. We're flying back as fast as we can!" Nico replied before flying away from the camera. The blue macaws could see him waking everyone up, explaining what's happening. Blu cut off the line and turned off the screen. The two macaws walked towards and left the room, closing it behind them. Once no one was in the room, every monitor turned off to save valuable energy. Using the staircase, they soon arrived at a big room full of birds working on various tasks and projects. For the size of the camp, there were a lot of birds, most of them being scientists. While walking, a Green Parakeet walked up to Jewel, greeting her as well as Blu.

"Hey guys, sorry for bothering, but I need your help Jewel. One of the helicopters broke down, and we can't get the equipment to fix it. The tools are behind a lock which malfunctioned. Only the main owners can authorize it." She asked the pair, hoping Jewel could help. Jewel looked at Blu for a moment, who just nodded while smiling.

"Sure thing, let's go! I'll be back soon Blu." She smiled back and followed the parakeet in the opposite direction, where the helicopters were stored and repaired. Blu continued walking towards the exit, arriving on an open balcony. He leaned on the railing and decided to just enjoy the fresh air and sun to clear his mind from all the turmoil. In the distance near the horizon he could see dark storm clouds forming and approaching faster than he was comfortable with.

 _I just hope this camp can withstand the hurricane._ He told himself before closing his eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth on his dark blue feathers. Everything was calm for a while, the only noise being the muffled voice of researchers or the natural sounds of the jungle. Unexpectedly a loud explosion disturbed the atmosphere, the shockwaves rocking the trees and structures lightly. Every bird looked in the sky immediately, trying to figure out what was happening.

Blu opened his eyes instantly, scanning his surroundings and the sky in panic. For all he knew that could have been a meteor, a rocket, a nuke or a plane. He soon spotted strange looking planes as they appeared from thin air, flying in weird patterns which was probably the result of turbulence. Inside the cockpit of Ripso's raptor, warning lights and alarms filled the air.

„What the heck?!" He spoke out loud, surprised by the change of scenery and sudden atmospheric turbulence when they were in deep space a moment before. He didn't have much time to ponder over it, because bullets flew passed his barely controlled ship, whizzing in the process.

Leaving the sudden daze, he reacted quickly and despite the missing engine, managed to take control over the craft. The pilot entered a dodge fight with the enemy fighters. Meanwhile the birds at the camp were stunned. The fighters resembled nothing they were familiar with, but it was clear they were hostile towards each other. Jewel ran outside, worried about everyone but most importantly Blu. She was relieved when she spotted him on the balcony, unharmed.

"They are trying to pick off that ship. It's already damaged!" Blu exclaimed, leaving the balcony and flying towards the direction of the unknown vessels. Jewel flew after him, trying to talk sense into her husband, while other birds also followed it or went inside to get an idea what's happening.

"BLU! Get back here we have no idea who or what are they!" She shouted after him but couldn't help but stare at the ongoing conflict. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, her curiosity was getting the best of her too. The situation looked like it came right out of an action movie.

Performing quick turn maneuvers, Ripso managed to shoot down three of the pursuers, but the last fighter was hard to shake off. CASSIDY informed him that the transport ships broke intercept course and proceeded to exit the atmosphere. He began to fly in the straightest line the ship could allow, trying to lure the remaining enemy in a trap.

Not being able to resist temptation, the fighter followed him, trying to get a good lock on for a missile attack. Ripso let it get closer to him, until the ship was in range. With a swift move, the backend turret took aim and shot the fighter, tearing it apart. Unfortunately, the enemy managed to get lock and fired two high velocity missiles.

The Gatling turret shot down one, but the remaining missile detonated close to the raptor, killing the second engine as well as damaging the left wing. Now with the complete loss of avionics, the vessel began to descend dangerously fast towards the ground with a wide smoke trail.

"It's going to crash in the ocean!" Blu shouted to Jewel, indicating to hold distance. Both macaws landed on a branch overseeing the close beach, following the doomed ship with their eyes. The thick smoke trail tainting the previously beautiful calm sky with a sense of terror and despair. The trademark of avian society.

Ripso tried to fight it, but without success. He piloted the craft towards the shallow water, hoping to ease the crash. He was able to slow down below lethal velocity, but even then, due to outside factors survival was still questionable. The pilot scanned his surroundings, trying to find a good place to bail out.

In a moment's notice, due to unknown causes, the ship changed course and crashed hard into the water below. The macaw didn't even have a chance to fully process the events in his mind before he was enveloped in total silence and darkness.

"There is no way anyone could have survived that." Blu said under his breath, but loud enough for Jewel and a few researchers to hear it next to him. The crash caused water to shoot up meters high, the kinetic energy launching smaller waves on the crystal-clear water. It was possible to see the aircraft slowly sinking until it hit rock bottom.

The blue macaws flew over the crash site's surface, inspecting the bottom below. Luckily the water was unusually clear, and due to this they could see much deeper than normal. The sand settled quickly, revealing the crashed vessel. They were surprised that it still had its shape despite the impact force.

The other birds sent up a flare, requesting medical teams to the area as fast as possible while making room on the beach to save whoever might be trapped inside.

Bubbles began to form on the surface, indicating that the ship was indeed drowning, and unless they intervened, the occupants would surely drown if they fail to get to the surface. The blue macaws looked at each other before silently nodding. With a quick turn both birds leaped in the water, swimming down towards the wreck.

They swam to the windshield, which had a few cracks on it, leaking in water. Only one person was visible inside, lying motionless on the console in front of it. Blu proceeded to go to the side of the ship, trying to find an entrance. After a quick searched he found a small keypad.

The red lock flashing indicated that it was sealed tight, he was about to give up due to the limited supply to oxygen, but mysteriously the hatch opened up on its own. Electricity formed around the pad, releasing all the air left inside. Both macaws placed their beaks inside the escaping air bubble to refill their lungs.

Every remaining electronics went dead as the water flown inside filling up the cabin. Blu went inside to rescue the unconscious pilot. From the appearance he looked like a fit male macaw probably around 15 years old. Although his suit covered most of his body, the feathers indicated he might be a Spix.

Blu grabbed him and with the help of Jewel they left the ship and quickly raised to the surface. By that time a smaller rescue party had gathered around the beach. The macaws could hear the distinct sound of an engine hitting the waves, and not so long after a boat pulled up in front of them, with non-other than Rafael as the driver.

"Is that the only survivor from the crash?" The toucan asked the couple, while assisting in pulling up the unconscious bird onto the boat. Once he was secured, both of them climbed in the boat and sat down, trying to catch their breath after the tiring and dangerous stunt they pulled. Neither Blu or Jewel knew why they jumped to action like that, now thinking back it was quite reckless and dangerous.

"Yes, he was the only passenger onboard we found. Is he breathing?" Blu answered between breaths, still panting slightly. Rafael leaned in closer to the unknown bird's face, while trying to find a pulse. Two seconds later he went back in the driver's seat and steered the boat towards the beach.

"He's breathing… But he won't make it unless he receives medical attention." The backwards trip was spent in silence. Once the boat reached shore, both macaws and the toucan left. The next few seconds passed in confusion, both males staring at the unconscious pilot. Blu looked at the toucan with a raised eyebrow and a slight worry.

"What's wrong Rafael? We can't waste any time, let's hurry and carry him to the infirmary." Blu asked his friend, attempting to grab the pilot to transport him to safety. Rafael put a wing on his shoulder.

"Amigo, I understand but… This bird just appeared out of thin air and shot down four aircraft. With a ship and weaponry I NEVER seen, even when I was in the military back then." Blu landed back on the soft sand, looking between the pilot and Rafael. The toucan knew exactly that Blu would not leave anyone in danger if he could do something about it, but he needed to tell him this screamed bad idea.

"For all we know he might be some super solider with a nasty mission. Heck, what if our camp's location was compromised and some unknown country decided to capture this place. You know full well what countries would do to get any TI44."

Blu looked at the ground, deep in thought, trying to consider their options. Rafael was right, whoever this person is, just demonstrated that he is indeed a threat if hostile. But on the other hand, from the macaw's standpoint it looked like self-defense. The internal battle was quickly halted when thunder echoed in the air.

Jewel looked behind herself, only to catch a glimpse of lightning in the distance. The storm was catching up to them fast. A few moments later a gentle cold breeze swiped past them. She cuddled closer to Blu for warmth, with little success due to the fact that they were completely wet.

"So the hurricane actually arriving here within an hour?" She asked them, trying to warm herself up. Blu thought about it, and opened his beak to speak, but the toucan beat him to it.

"It is. The camp is not too far away, so we should get there as soon as possible. Getting caught in that would not be a pleasant experience… Blu, listen I just thought you should consider this too. It's your expedition, and we will follow your orders." After a few seconds Blu decided. Determination in his eyes, he called for help to transport the pilot.

"We can't just leave him here, it is our responsibility to make sure he gets the chance to survive and prove himself." Everyone nodded and remained silent for the rest of the short trip back to the camp. The pilot's body was moved to a mobile stretcher with the help of the staff's security. The Harpy Eagles carried the injured pilot and both wet macaws back to the center where the emergency room has been fully prepared for their arrival.

 _Now with an injured macaw, there is no way we can leave this place._ Blu thought, before letting out a slow inaudible sigh, tiredness slowly creeping up on him. He tried his best to fight it, but he was failing. Both Rafael and Jewel caught it, and the toucan pointed it out.

"It's been a long day Blu. Maybe you and Jewel should go and have a rest. We will fortify the camp's base and take care of the new bird over there." He said, pointing at the pilot who was surrounded with doctors. Blu opened his beak to argue but catching the glare from his wife he decided to not go against her and Rafael.

"Sure. Thanks, I appreciate it." Jewel's expression softened and both macaws went towards their room to take a nap and try to process the events of the last half hour. Once they left everyone's sight, Rafael turned around, his inner leader taking charge, preparing the camp and its inhabitants for an ugly storm.

"All right, we need to get the metal extenders, rods, chains, supporters and everything else we got in storage. I want all trees to be fortified and the foundations to be triple checked. Windows and doors are to be sealed tight with the exception of the main doors and the hangar entrance." The toucan ordered, explaining what each different team's job was. They had to finish the work quickly if they want the camp to remain in one piece.

* * *

That does it for this chapter. Apologies, I was hoping to deliver this sooner. Author's notes on the Info tab is updated!


	4. Culture shock Part 1

**Chapter 3**

Culture shock Part 1

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Just like the weather models predicted, the hurricane arrived at the East Atlantic Shore a little after Blu and Jewel's return. Rafael and his team just finished the fortification when the first raindrops started pouring from the sky, accompanied by winds exceeding speeds normal air vehicles operated under. The harsh winds tore apart smaller vegetation, the broken branches and twigs getting caught by the denser rainforest behind them.

The camp's fortifications consisted of additional pillars and chains, secured to the ground below the treetops. Smaller metal frames were added to the branches, making sure they can support the camp's weight even when met with powerful winds.

With the storm's arrival, the temperature instantly turned from a slightly warm and humid to wet and cold. All top entrances have been sealed off, making sure no water can get through. The windows were closed and protective shutters were placed over them to protect the fragile glass material.

Due to this, most occupants were left without jobs, as they were field researchers. Although no one really complained, as the weather gave them a perfect excuse to finally have some rest for the first time in months. The main conference room was redesigned to accompany relaxation items and furniture, turning it to a living room.

In the emergency room, two doctors were constantly monitoring the mystery pilot's life signs. They were baffled, because medical scans indicated only minor injuries, mostly pulled muscles, despite the lethal looking accident.

Rafael entered the room to check on their newest guest. The toucan stopped at the entrance of the room, making sure not to disturb the professionals work. He took the opportunity to observe the patient without that strange looking flight suit. Blu was right about the species, he was indeed a Spix macaw. Interestingly his face resembled Blu's in many ways, almost like a distant cousin. A male Bufflehead noticed the toucan, and after excusing himself made his way towards him. The two of them left and stood at the center of the waiting room before the doctor spoke.

"I suspect you would like to know information about the patient, right?" Rafael nodded. "Well, here is what we found out. Species is Spix Macaw, although no clear lineage is identified. DNA scans do not match any known identity. Height is 54.4 cm, weight is 320 grams, fit body with no known illness. Age is around 14 to 16 years. Perfectly healthy individual."

"There is an anomaly in his brainwaves however." The bird pointed out, grabbing the attention of Rafael. "It is almost like there is a modulated pulse hidden within them. This is what the X-Ray showed us." The doctor searched through the folder in his wings, until he found the specific X-Ray scan he required.

Rafael grabbed the picture and observed it closely. An ordinary skull could be seen on the picture, with no apparently noticeable anomalies. After eyeballing the picture for a few seconds, he found the barely noticeable object. A small semitransparent hexagon located in the back of the macaw's head, directly connected to his brain tissue.

"Modulated signal… Do we have any idea what this is?" The toucan asked the duck, while handing the picture back. The doctor grabbed them and put it back inside the folder with the other results. He shrugged his shoulder before replying.

"No idea. Definitely not a tumor, it is made of metal. It did not react to any known stimuli, nor did it change activity when we treated the macaw's injuries. Some crazy people think it's some sort of computer implanted within his brain… They watched too many Sci-Fi films lately if you ask me." Rafael dismissed the claim, but the thought was still present.

"Our best chance to understand anything is if he can speak to us personally. Any idea when he might wake up?" The toucan asked. "Estimates say he should recover consciousness within the day. Although, we are unsure about the security. The entire situation is just a big mess. Dr. Hoffman inspected the video footage and found no logical explanation about their sudden appearance."

"Not to mention the craft design. It's nothing we have ever seen before. The tech is just too advanced to exist. Either it's a super-secret military project by the US or Russia… Or it's alien in origin… No matter which one it is, we need to alert it to the president as soon as we can." Rafael simply nodded, completely agreeing with the Bufflehead. The two birds bid farewell silently, and parted ways.

During his short walk from the medical to the conference room Rafael had lots of things on his mind. First, the government denied permission for them to return home, meaning he won't be able to see his beloved wife for who knows how long once again. They got caught in a never before seen storm, which grounded them inside for maybe weeks if not months.

And if that was not enough, now this. Most birds still can't process what they witnessed exactly. No matter who inspected the footage, none could come up with a noteworthy explanation about these mysterious craft's appearances. Then Blu decided to be reckless and brought the very pilot inside who single handedly dealt with three other unknown vessels.

 _But we couldn't just leave him there to die… What would others think of us?_ Surely, he can't mean any of them harm at his current state, after all he would be sedated the very moment he woke up. And the pilot did owe them for saving his life. That _has_ to mean something in case things turn south, _right_? The toucan was snapped out of his thoughts by the voice of a familiar blue macaw.

"Hello Rafael." Blu greeted his friend, walking up to him. The toucan turned around with a smile on his face. "Hey Blu! Good to see you are awake and well rested. How is Jewel doing?"

"Caught a mild cold, so she is in our room recovering right now… Heard about the discoveries regarding our pilot… Do you think I made a mistake when we brought him here?" The male macaw asked, while they both entered the conference room and sat down on one of the sofas. The design was made to be comfortable, with sofas, beds, tables all around the room. Birds chatted with each other, played games or just enjoyed a good old-fashioned book.

"We don't know about his intentions, or what his purpose is, but I believe we did the right thing. He may be a stranger, but a bird nonetheless." Rafael reassured his friend, who nodded in return. The macaw's gaze fell upon the hardened structure made against the storm which was visible from the inside.

"I'm surprised you managed to get these fortifications up in so little time. You sure they can withstand the storm?"

"Can you hear any particular unsettling noise from outside?" The toucan asked.

"Nope. Just the dull sound of rain." Blu responded, listening closely to the ambient sounds, ignoring the chatter of other birds in the area. Like said, only the faint noise of water droplets hitting the surface of the walls could be heard.

"Ha. Exactly. Right now it's a hurricane storm outside, but you can't even feel it. I'd bet my life that this camp will survive it… Actually, I have no choice but to bet on it." Rafael replied. The two had a quick laugh and decided to talk about past adventures to pass time.

* * *

Meanwhile for Ripso, things were way less pleasant. Only darkness and total silence was present, with absolutely no outside stimulation. He looked around but firstly saw nothing but the empty void around him. Needless to say, the macaw was confused. He had no idea how he even got there in the first place.

After a short while faint and distant memories of his past started to play, quietly echoing around him, slowly picking up the pace until he arrived back to the last thing he could remember. The sudden crash of his Raptor.

 _This is not like something I'm used to. Hmmm… Never felt like this before. Is this some sort of dream land or am I dead?_ Ripso asked no one in particular, floating around aimlessly in the void, trying to find some sort of explanation for his situation.

 _"_ _Your vitals are stable, the wounds are healing. I'd say you are not dead yet, Ripso."_ The synthetic voice of CASSIDY echoed around him without warning, making the bird jump in surprise. He turned around only to be met with a female form of a macaw, the difference being she was fully white, having a shiny metal body. Her irises had a weird circuit board pattern to them. It was no mistake this had to be CASSIDY. Ripso observed her, confused.

 _Ok, first off, where are we. Second, how are you here? And since when did you have a body?_ The AI laughed at the clueless questions.

 _"_ _This is your sub consciousness, although the coma won't allow a dynamic world to be generated, we are stuck floating here for a while. I don't have a body, my current resources are limited, so I fetched this from your memories. This is how you imagined me apparently. As for how I'm here, well I'm hardwired directly to your brain, dumb-dumb."_

 _Hey! Watch your language CASSIDY. You don't want to piss me off._ The macaw warned, but was met with even more laughter. AI sure has gone a long way since the days of search engine results and online recommendations.

" _Please, what will you do, cut me out? Who's going to tell you intel then?_ " The AI had a point, but Ripso made a mental note to payback CASSIDY someday, but he was not sure how that will work. _Fair point, that explains a lot. I'm guessing we have a lot of time on our hands, can you tell me anything about what the heck just happened to us?_

 _"_ _The device initiated an FTL jump, resulting in the atmospheric entry. Although I could not gather enough data to determine the planet."_

 _Well that's not good, but at least we're not in a mountain. Can you get any information of the outside world? Am I in the bottom of the ocean slowly drowning or somewhere on the Bahamas?_

 _"_ _The number of outside stimuli is limited, but according to those readings you are in a dry, well-regulated location. Although my implant picked up rather high concentrations of X-Rays a while back. It allowed me to properly access your consciousness."_

 _So… I guess I'm in some sort of medical facility. That's reassuring. Unless the Shawax got me. Although I doubt they would let me live. Any info about the raptor and its cargo? Something after I blacked out._

 _"_ _The magnetic seals have released the moment of contact with the water's surface, however the last readings showed no sign of damage. Sadly, the same can't be said about the raptor."_

 _"_ _Whoever saved you couldn't get inside, so I had to manually open the hatch, and that caused every electronics to fry which couldn't be deactivated in time."_

Suddenly the scenery started to change, as dim flashes of light erupted all around the void, the sensation of gravity, sound, touch and sight slowly crept back towards the macaw. _Wait what? I'm regaining consciousness this fast?_

 _"_ _It looks like it."_ CASSIDY replied, busy restoring the bird's consciousness. After a minute or two, his face began to stir, before slowly opening his eyes. He blinked a few times to adjust and focus on the dimly lit room he was in. After fully regaining his ability to see, he looked around, scanning his surroundings.

He was baffled to say the least, the room almost looked alien. After closely inspecting the equipment he felt like being in some sort of medical museum. The machines looked like the tech used in the 20's. He slowly removed the cords and sensors strapped to his bandaged body.

After testing his ability to stand, the macaw was pleased to know at least he could move around. Leaving the unusually comfortable bed, the pilot walked around the room in utter silence. Unknown to him, a Spix macaw and Toco Toucan watched his every move from the room next door via cameras.

"Just where on earth did we crash? I didn't even know the Alliance still made this kind of equipment. Cassidy, I need you to make a full scan. Get me any information you can." The macaw spoke, although with a low volume, the built-in microphones hidden around the room could hear it, and thanks to this so could Rafael and Blu, who were curious about the unfolding events.

 _Indeed, the equipment is a model last used officially in 2024, although carbon levels indicate it was manufactured not too long ago. A year maximum. This must have been built by acquiring the plans from the National Information Center. No other data could be gathered without proper equipment ourselves._

"This must be a really poor colony or some sort of pirate hideout. Neither is really a good thing." Ripso replied, but because only he could hear the AI, the other room's occupants didn't know what to make of the situation. He was either mentally ill, or worse he somehow communicated with someone via radio.

The macaw proceeded to walk over to his slightly damaged flight suit. After inspecting it to see if any damage has been done to it, he lifted the cracked helmet with a talon and touched several locks. With a quick snap the glass visor detached from the rest of the gear.

Its design resembled a smaller, more compact HoloLens or Google Glass, the whole hardware located on the right side of the device, which emitted a dim blue light once turned on. The pilot placed the visor on its respectable position on his head.

Ripso glanced around the room once more, but only now did he spot a smaller window. Curiosity got the better of him, so he walked right in front of it, gazing outside. The macaw was shocked to see a dense Earth jungle, which was currently under siege by the restless storm.

CASSIDY fully connected to the visor, and with that Ripso got access to limited information about his surroundings such as temperature, pressure, atmosphere composure and even a small ranged "minimap". It was at this moment that he realized he was not alone. The visor picked up two bird sized objects moving towards the room's door with relative slow speeds. Both contacts got to a halt once in front of the entrance.

The pilot kept his eye on the two arrows, looking for any sudden movement. The odds were not in his favor, having an injured body, completely unknown location, his back turned to the enemy. Perhaps he could jump behind that old looking CT scanner before they could go through the door, but he would still face the problem of being unarmed.

Rafael opened the door silently and attempted to walk behind the bird, trying to establish contact by greeting him and possibly finding out what happened. Blu was still at the door when the events sped up. Just as his friend got in wing reach of the strange bird, the stranger reacted in a way which caught Rafael off guard.

The pilot turned around and quickly hit the toucan in the face lightly enough to not cause injury or a black eye but hard enough to daze the unsuspecting bird. After that, he quickly turned Rafael's wings behind his back, pushing him to the floor with all his might, locking them in place.

At this point Blu jumped back, trying to respond to the actions he just witnessed. Meanwhile the stranger pulled Rafael as well as himself up, still holding the toucan as a captive.

Both macaws looked at each other and time apparently almost froze for them. It was almost like looking in a mirror. Blu was taken aback by the sight before him. This person truly resembled himself, although a few years younger with bigger muscle mass and slightly lighter shade of blue. His eyes were also a light royal blue, although for some strange reason it seemed to almost glow in the dark.

Somehow Blu's worries quickly faded away. For some reason he felt like he could trust this stranger, even after the fact that this bird just wiped the floor with his best friend and currently kept him as a hostage.

Ripso carefully analyzed his current situation. The toucan came too close inside his personal space with silence, but now looking at his partner as well as him, he realized these birds wouldn't cause trouble. At least not right away. After a quick glance at his captive, the macaw slowly released his grip and walked backwards, giving the toucan space, but still not removing eye contact with the other Spix.

"You know it's not nice to creep up to birds from behind, right? That's a sure way to get your ass kicked at the army or navy, probably around the air force too." The stranger finally spoke up, directing his speech to Rafael, who now stood next to Blu, with an understandable glare.

"What? It was self-defense… Anyway, since you two are the only birds I see here, I suspect I owe my life to one or both of you?" After recovering from the mild shock, Blu cleared his throat to answer the question.

"Yes. My team saw what happened in the air. By the time we got to you, your craft was already under water. You got really lucky there." After waiting for a few moments to see if the bird would reply, he continued.

"My name is Tyler Blu Gunderson and this is my right-hand man, Rafael." Blu gestured with his wing towards the toucan, who calmed down somewhat and said nothing at first, only nodded.

"May we have your name?" He asked, hoping any information could help them find out just who this person really is. The macaw slowly walked closer to the duo, making sure not to get the wrong message across. He extended a talon to the closer of the two, who happened to be Blu.

"Captain Ripso of the Battlestar Constellation. Battle Group 22, Second Avian Defense Fleet." Both birds shaken wings, but the duo were trying really hard to hide the bafflement from their face. They had absolutely no idea what this guy was talking about.

"If you have seen my ship crash I assume you might also know about the cargo I was carrying… Let's just say that cargo is really important, top secret Alliance technology we cannot let the enemy get their hands on." The macaw now known as Ripso spoke, but his calm voice shifted to an uneasy one towards the end seeing their confused faces. This sparked tension between the two parties. The toucan and macaw looked at each other.

"Amigo, we have no idea where that thing is. Probably in the bottom of the deeper ocean. No way could we get there, and this storm is not really helping the issue. I'm not going to risk my men for a random box." Rafael spoke, attempting to answer the question. Hoping they could shift the conversation towards his background, however the pilot became more agitated with every breath, not showing any sign of backing down from the subject.

"Pardon me 'Amigo', but I'm not joking around. Billions of lives are at stake here… That box contained experimental technology that is crucial against the Shawax. Alliance protocol gives me full authority over any installation or colony in space. We need to get that back right now, it must be top priority!" Ripso stated now in raised voice but was cut short by both Blu and Rafael immediately.

"Whoa. Back down now. This is our camp, under the authority of the Brazilian government. I have no idea what medications you taken before but stop saying these fake ranks and tell us who sent you." Rafael shot back, raising his own voice. Blu was not too sure about which side to take, but the ten-year long friendship as well as common sense decided for him.

"We want to know exactly what happened above our airspace. What kind of experimental jets did you take out? I never seen anything like that. Same goes for your ship as well. Are you working for the US?" Blu questioned, expecting an answer. Unfortunately, the pilot shot back his own set of questions and demands instead of answering.

"Enough of these games. Brazilian government?! Since when did any Earth nation get permission to have private research camps without the Alliance's approval outside of the Sol system? Gentlemen, I suggest you cut off with the lying or I'll be forced to make drastic decisions. That means getting the Alliance to arrests all of you for interfering with military affairs." By now the racket caused by the newly formed argument woke up several inhabitants, who quickly gathered around the door, listening to the conversation.

"What are you talking about? This **IS** Earth. **WE** saved your life. We deserve, no, **DEMAND** to know what's going on. How did your group of ships just appear out of nowhere?" Rafael shot back once again, now waiting for the excuse this bird is going to come up with.

"What do you mean this is Earth? The equipment in this room looks like something from the 20's. That's almost 40 years old tech right here! There is not a single place on **Earth** or **Eden** which would be so undeveloped." Ripso spread his wings, pointing at different electronics. He soon became confused however, instead of the previous anger the duo's face was replaced with a similar confusion as his. Five seconds passed in complete silence. Ripso remembered what Alena told him before their cover was blown. Almost without thinking the macaw asked a question he thought he will never have to ask anyone.

"What year is it?" After hearing the question, Blu found it odd, but nevertheless wanted to defuse the situation so he walked over to the nearest laptop and turned it on. Once the operating system booted up to the login screen, he rotated the screen so Ripso could see it.

"April 15th 2021." Blu blankly stated, observing the bird's reaction. The macaw stared at the screen, his eyes displaying disbelief and later on upmost terror. He slowly began to walk backwards, soon arriving to a halt thanks to the wall. He looked at the small group of birds, all gazing upon him with concern.

"This has to be a joke. This can't be happening. Not now!" He shifted his eyes on the floor in front of him, grabbing his temples, slowly massaging them from a mild headache he just acquired. "Alena said the device was not tested yet. This thing just worked! What went wrong Cassidy?!"

 _Without proper data from the raptor's internal database, I'm unable to draw any solid conclusion. Right now we can only speculate, but no doubt it had something to do with the EMP missiles we received before the jump._

"You sure you are all right up there? You are talking to yourself." A high pitch voice belonging to a female parakeet asked the troubled macaw. Ripso immediately snapped back to reality and looked at the group once more.

"Cassidy, loud speakers." The AI completed Ripso's request. A moment later a slight click sound escaped the speakers in the room, catching everyone's attention. In a few seconds a slightly synthetic female voice spoke up.

 _"_ _Greetings. My name is CASSIDY. Artificial intelligence, personal assistant and tactical advisor for Captain Ripso. In normal circumstances these interactions should be avoided at all costs, as the cultural shock may be too damaging to handle, but it appears we have no choice now."_

 _"_ _I must advise that whatever happens between these walls must stay there. If your statement about the current time is true, this information may severely impact the upcoming events for avian history."_

"And just where is the supposed AI located, you are using some sort of radio aren't you." Rafael asked skeptically, directing the question to Ripso. The macaw just stared into his eyes, his expression unreadable. CASSIDY answered the question instead.

 _"_ _I can assure you we are not using any long or short ranged communication. This is all happening real time. As for my location, I'm right in front of you. Inside Ripso's brain that is. I'm located in a positron CPU implant."_

"YES! I KNEW IT WAS A COMPUTER! HA! Take that Steve, Sci-Fi rules!" The sudden outburst of a young falcon made everyone focus their attention at the medic. He instantly regretted his decision to speak.

"Uh… Never mind me, continue please. He-he." The bird nervously laughed, hoping to step out of the spotlight. Fortune smiled upon him, as the group focused its attention back to the pilot.


	5. Culture shock Part 2

**Chapter 4**

Culture shock Part 2

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

"We are supposed to believe that you came from the future. You talked about an alliance, avian defense fleet, colonies… How are we supposed to believe you?" Blu questioned with a serious tone. Ripso understood that whatever was happening right now, he had to play his cards right. With a small sigh, he began to walk towards his bed.

"I'm just as confused as you are. But let's make it clear right now, what I'm talking about are not lies. The Alliance, Avian Defense Fleet and avian colonies do exist… Just in the future." He observed the group's reaction, as expected the group was not buying it. He continued while he sat down on the bed.

"You can see the evidence right in front of you. Multiple alien looking aircraft. They appeared literally from thin air. My suit and visor's appearance looks like what your film studios depicted gadgets from the future. I have something in my brain that speaks like a sentient bird. What more proof do you want?" This explanation appeared to have done the trick, the group's expression shifted from confused and reluctant to curious and confused.

"You spoke of an enemy, Shasawax or what they are called?" Rafael asked the macaw, trying to pronounce the alien name. For a moment Ripso's face changed from calm to angry. Like recalling a bad memory. Everyone was eager to hear his response.

"Shawax." The macaw corrected, the word bearing so much venom it could literally kill someone if they come in contact with it.

"The arch enemy of all avian species. I guess there is no point in hiding anything from you, since this information will be needed later on. Alright. Long story short. In 2030, a large military and political coup forcefully unified the globe, creating the Avian alliance. Basically, the United Nations just on steroids."

"We managed to nullify most if not all the damaging, harmful views which have slowed down avian progression since our first appearance on the planet. Racism, forced religion, terror movements et cetera. Never before seen peace settled and we could finally shift our resources from pointless military conflicts to economic and technological progression."

"With the help of a special element, first known as 'TI44', later receiving a proper name, dubbed Tylium, we kick started a research physicists and engineers only dreamt of." He elaborated, but the mention of TI44 caught everyone by surprise.

"Faster than light travel. Yes, there is a way, multiple ways in fact to break the cosmic speed limit. After that I don't think I have to mention what we did next… Fast forward twenty years, we had two first contacts within a month."

"The Shawax is a reptilian species who roams the local galaxy cluster and enslave or exterminate sentient pre or interstellar civilizations. Nobody knows why, many think because of potential technologies. Whatever the reason is, they are hostile and attacked us. We retaliated, and still do. That is the war I'm facing right now, and the container has a device which could be a tide changer." The macaw stood up and walked in front of the group as well as the blocked entrance ahead. He looked at both Rafael and Blu.

"You have the right to not believe me, but I'm going to get that back either you help me or not… Because if I don't, the future YOU are in the process of building will be in flames and ashes." The determination on his face proved he meant what he said. Before the bird could make space between the surprised group of birds, Blu stepped in front of him, stopping the macaw.

"This is all messed up... Look, too much info to chew at once. If what you say is true… then I believe we could help you if everyone else agrees." Blu responded which surprised everyone. Suddenly a new bird stepped forward from the crowd, a male blue and yellow macaw with green eyes. From the equipment strapped on his body, he appeared to be working within the security team. The macaw immediately spoke up against it.

"Wait, what?! Blu, you can't be serious about this. Even if he speaks the truth, do we want to mess with such things?! We are an expedition team not a military one. And then we are overlooking the fact our opponents would be _aliens_. I am not paid to take part in something that is a risk to my crew or the expedition for something as bold as this."

"I understand your concern Denis, I really do. Intentionally or not Ripso might have just dragged us in a war we have absolutely no way of even landing a single blow. Just think about it." Blu paused. He indicated Ripso by using his wings.

"He is from the future! Those ships escaped the battle and we have absolutely no idea where they are. If anyone can help us it's him. Our best course of action is to assist him. The sooner Ripso gets his device back, the sooner things go back to normal." All other birds made a small nod, supporting Blu's decision.

"Thank you, Blu." The pilot thanked the macaw for showing trust and thinking through the situation logically. He turned towards the blue and yellow macaw to address him as well as the rest of the group.

"Denis, I know it's hard, and I do not blame any of you for hesitating about this issue. I commend your dedication, responsibility and care for your duty, but as I said, that device is important to my… our people." He made sure to quickly correct his sentence. Dividing themselves further is not a good idea.

"And we have to get it back no matter the cost. In the same time, I cannot let anyone innocent getting caught in the crossfire. The Shawax probably fled to interplanetary space to figure out what happened. No doubt they already know and they have two options."

"First option, those ships are heavy transporters, and these vessels have the unfortunate ability to be used as a small forward operating base if need be. If they chose this option, they might be in the process of actually building a camp. Which is bad."

"However, option number two is worse. They might attempt to build a smaller warp capable ship and get in contact with this timeline's Shawax, which is probably somewhere in the Tau Altar cluster, approximately 450 parsecs or 1500 light years away from us."

"I'm afraid this scenario will result in the extinction of all avian species. Without proper technology it will be a full-scale slaughter. Just like any alien invasion film by Hollywood. Only this time birds won't have any secret weapon or tactic to turn the tide in the last second." The room fell silent after Ripso finished speaking. The reality of the situation just started to unfold to the occupants. After what felt like eternity, Rafael spoke up.

"It's getting late. I suggest we continue this tomorrow morning when everyone had enough sleep and the rest of the crew is there. We will set up a meeting in the conference room first thing in the morning. Ripso, do you need any assistance?" The toucan asked which caught the macaw unprepared. While he was still aching, he did not want to be too much of a burden on the expedition team, after all those supplies might be needed in the future. Not to mention he too would benefit from a good night's rest.

"My body is still stiff and aching, but I've been through worse before, I'll manage. Thank you for asking." The small crowd finally dissipated and returned to their own quarters. Once the room was empty, Ripso laid back down on the bed, and closed his eyes, attempting to sleep. He knew CASSIDY would continuously monitor the surroundings, alerting him of possible dangers.

The next morning

The first yellow rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, but quickly mixed with the storm's silver-gray color. The harsh winds assaulted the building, but so far the structure stood on the top of the jungle's trees. Inside birds of all kind of species cleaned the main conference room, getting ready for today's meeting.

However, the birds were unusually excited. Everyone was eager to go through the daily meeting topics so the main problem regarding the team's possibly newest member could be discussed. Before Ripso arrived, the news spread like wildfire about his supposed origin and plans for the future. While all birds were spooked hearing the supposed rumors of genocidal aliens, most were curious, but there were groups or individuals who were less than happy about the situation.

Half an hour into the meeting, a ten-minute break was issued. Blu excused himself to go check on his wife. He crossed and went through a couple of well-lit halls until the blue macaw arrived at the front door of their private room. Blu carefully opened the door, making sure not to disturb Jewel if she was still asleep.

He looked around the room but found no trace of his love. A few moments later the sound of water splashing filled the previously quiet room, indicating the female macaw's location. Blu walked inside normally, since he had no reason to be silent. He stopped in front of the bathroom door and knocked twice, awaiting a response.

"Come in!" The gentle voice called from inside, so Blu obeyed and proceeded to enter the room. After stepping in, a warm mist covered his vision. Once he closed the door the mist settled and behold the sight of his wife showering met his eyes. Although they were married for a year now he still could not help but gaze upon her beauty. But he snapped out of it a moment later and asked. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Much better than yesterday, thank god it was just a temporary cold. How is the conference going? Any news about the pilot?" Jewel asked before finishing the shower. Once the water stopped flowing she grabbed the towel on the right side from her.

"The conference is going just fine. We looked through the data about the hurricane, not really promising. We never seen anything like it. It is so severe we can't get any outside radio signals. Satellites are not even worth trying. We are stuck here for a while." Blu explained with a bit of a sad tone.

"What about Nico and Pedro's team? I heard they didn't get back." She asked about their friends, worry in her voice. Blu looked down while replying.

"They didn't make it back in time. Last we heard they said they will bunker down somewhere and try to wait out the storm, but with the interference we have no idea what happened to them." He then decided to change topic, because the silence was becoming uncomfortable.

"The pilot woke up in the middle of the night though." Jewel's interest spiked at the mention of the new bird. She turned towards her husband but continued to dry herself.

"Oh, is that so? I guess you had a chat. What did you find out?" Blu became nervous hearing the question, not sure how to tell her wife the information that he still had problems fully believing. In the end he chose to tell it flat out and simple.

"This will sound stupid. But believe it or not he claims to be from the future!" Jewel stopped drying and raised an eyebrow at her mate, not amused at the supposed joke.

"Blu, that's ridiculous. It's not funny joking about someone's confusion who just barely survived a crash." Before the female could continue her husband cut her off explaining the situation with more detail.

"Jewel, I'm not lying. Honest. He calls himself Ripso and claimed to be part of some sort of Second Defense Fleet or something. He kept asking and commanding us to do things, saying he has authority. Of course, Rafael didn't allow it to continue and questioned him."

"After maybe a minute of intense arguing, he fell silent for a few seconds and his expression changed to shocked or afraid… He asked what the date was, so I showed him. Pure terror on his face." Meanwhile Jewel finished drying herself and the two macaws walked outside the bathroom. Jewel's full attention still on her mate.

"He told us stuff. Like the fact those ships came out of nowhere. The strange looking gadgets. And you didn't know this because you were sleeping, but the doctors did a few X-Ray scans and found a strange object INSIDE his head!"

"And if that was not enough, we heard him talking to himself. We didn't know if he had some sort of radio device or was just insane. Well, turns out that object in his brain is a minicomputer and an AI spoke from it! A real life working AI!" Jewel was skeptical, somehow not believing the story, but seeing Blu's reaction and honesty she didn't know how to feel.

"I think it's best if you join the conference. We spoke to him and agreed that he will inform and tell everything publicly once the main topics are dealt with." Jewel nodded and the couple left their bedroom to join the others. On their way they coincidentally bumped into Ripso who just left the medical room. His body still had bandages but not nearly as much as last night.

"Ah, good morning Blu. I suppose the necessary topics will be covered soon?" He greeted Blu but immediately noticed the female macaw next to him.

"And who is this lovely lady?" He asked, putting a friendly smile on his face for the first time since arriving here.

"This is my wife." Blu responded proudly, placing a wing over her mate. Ripso nodded with his head.

"A pleasure meeting you. My name is Ripso."

"Jewel, likewise." Jewel introduced herself, simply nodding her head.

"I could have sworn you had more bandages on you last night, what happened?" Blu asked the pilot, observing the changes to his appearance. After closer examination he also concluded that his posture was healthier.

"Ah yes, well if we use your time frame thankfully medicine will skyrocket in few decades. Accelerated growth and cellular repair can do wonders." Jewel finally understood what her husband meant when he said this person keeps talking like he's from the future.

"Could you lead the way Blu? I'm still kind of lost around here." Ripso asked a little embarrassed. Blu complied and led the two macaws to the conference room. The meeting continued minutes before they arrived. The sight of Blu and Jewel entering was not really a surprise to them, but the third member of the group definitely sparked most birds interest.

Ripso was used to being in the spotlight but this encounter made him nervous inside. The smallest mistake could jeopardize the fate of this Earth's future as well as his own. He had to play it smart with these birds if he wanted to get back to his real home.

"Alright, so until we get more information regarding the storm, food ratios will be halved to make sure we can survive... And now we can discuss the topic that has been on everyone's mind since yesterday. After our guest explains his situation and standpoint, we will do a vote about our final decision." Blu finished speaking, and made eye contact with Ripso, followed by a short nod. The pilot took the cue and stepped forward in front of the microphone while Blu sat down in the front row next to Rafael and Jewel.

"Greetings to everyone. Before I start I would like to take a moment and thank all of you for your hospitality and kindness even after our short uh, dispute last night. No doubt without the fast and professional rescue I would not be standing here today."

"Also, no doubt the word has already spread about my story. As I look through all of you I can clearly see most of you do not trust me, but that is totally acceptable. I'm here today to inform about the situation and hopefully clear and answer any questions anyone might have."

"First off, as unbelievable it sounds, the stories are in fact correct. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ripso, I currently serve on the Battlestar Constellation. Battle Group 22, Second Avian Defense Fleet. Born on Earth after the Shawax invasion in 2047." Birds began to whisper between each other. Ripso continued after letting the information sink in.

"The first thing in anyone's mind is that I'm lying. I can assure you I'm not. I would like to clarify something important before we move on. Since this is considered as first contact, all information I will give out is vague and strictly on a need to know basis."

"This is not because I'm hiding something malicious, it is because I have knowledge about certain events or facts which could prove catastrophic if released to the public… Now, first of all, how is this possible you might ask?"

"Everyone has heard of universe theories like multiverse or string theory. As it will later turn out, the multiverse theory is correct. This means there are infinite realities parallel to our own. I have not broken any time traveling laws or caused paradoxes because I simply originated from a parallel universe where time just happened to be forward a few decades." He paused for a moment, thinking about how to say the following sentences. His emotion changed from semi excited to a sad and less optimistic one. The crowd caught up on this pretty quick.

"We are in a war. Not against each other, but against _aliens_. We identified them as The Shawax, a reptilian species who enslave, assimilate or purge civilizations in the local galaxy cluster. Thanks to a fallen civilization's last effort, we managed to get a warning with some intel on them. This allowed us to resist their first offensive although barely, giving us some breathing room."

"The government funded a special project, which tried to exploit yet another loophole in physics. This loophole if done correctly could theoretically transport us to other realities within the multiverse. This took place on a remote moon in a distant star system in order to conduct these tests away from prying eyes. My group was tasked in evacuating the research team with their prototype hardware after the system was lost and got flooded with Shawax warships."

"Our cover was blown, and we tried to make a desperate move to escape with our objectives. I personally got cut off by the fighters you all seen above the sky later on. Their attack caused the prototype to activate and did the impossible." He paused once more, but this time this voice carried a lot more optimism.

"It switched reality from my own to yours. That is why our ships appeared out of thin air. Now what does this mean for you? Luckily from the report of fellow researchers the prototype might still be intact. It is really important that we retrieve this device as it is the only means of me ever returning."

"Without that device Earth and all avian species might fall. Your children and grandchildren's future may depend on this…" The birds within the room looked around, looking for opinions on one another's face. Blu signaled Ripso to continue.

"Now, fortunately for us, we will not have to worry about the outside world noticing us. I've done some digging around the available history data, and I uncovered interesting information."

"The storm actually happened in my universe, at exactly this date. Now, the good news is that because of the drastic pollution the atmosphere's temperature became unstable, which caused hurricane to form over the Atlantic. I'm no scientist so I'd rather not get into the details, but thanks to the overwhelming amount of lightning radio and other means of communication are not available."

"This basically cuts us off from the rest of the digital world. Meanwhile the storm itself makes transportation impossible. However, the bad news is that the storm lasted for over three and a half months." The previously silent room suddenly flooded with worried chatter. Many panicked about the food supplies.

"What? We don't have enough food to last that long!"

"Are we are going to starve?"

"What can we do?"

A loud alarm disturbed the birds, forcing them to stop speaking in the hopes of not escalating the situation any further. Once the crowd settled down, Ripso continued.

"There is no need to panic. Luckily, we are in the Amazon. Plenty of food can be found if you keep looking in the right places. Plus, after a few days the storm will mostly settle down on South America, its intensity will drop a lot. Think of it as a rainier United Kingdom's weather." Ripso's tone changed after this sentence once again, indicating the following information must be taken seriously.

"Now for the real threat. As you have probably seen the video, multiple Shawax ships actually fled combat. These ships were heavy transporters, which can be used as a forward operating base. I believe they will attempt to steal the device from us, since their numbers a far too small to invade the planet and take over."

"We must be prepared for anything between infantry assaults to even orbital bombardment. Once we get the prototype, we will probably need resources to get it running, but not sure how much of what exactly. Be prepared though, as we might need to venture out into space because from CASSIDY's schematics it contains rare elements which are simply too scarce on Earth to locate successfully." Ripso explained, choosing his words carefully, making sure not to cause a bigger panic than there already is. Many birds calmed down, starting to believe their newest but probably temporary member, but some were still skeptical. A prominent figure on that side was Denis, who was not afraid to raise his concerns. He raised his right wing to ask for permission to speak, which the pilot gave him.

"That is a very nice rudimentary plan, but there is a slight problem I think you did not factor in. You seemed to forget the nature of our expedition. We are _not_ a military detachment, we are scientists, researchers and civilian workers. The bold if not impossible things you expect us to assist you with is dangerous. What if these aliens get angry and target us?"

"Your concern is valid, but I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. The Shawax will cause harm if left unchecked, maybe not tomorrow, but then a few years later. The good news is that with proper training and preparation we do have a chance to defeat them. But I cannot do that alone, that is why I request the assistance." The pilot answered the question, bringing up valid points. But Denis was still not impressed, the number of birds who are capable of actual combat are still less than a dozen. He just didn't see any way they could hold their ground against such foes. "We have a _chance_. And just how big is that chance?"

"Big enough that it is worth trying." Ripso replied without emotion in his voice. The blue and yellow macaw did not respond after this, seeing as the pilot is not confident enough to give out actual numbers, he was certain that the rest of the expedition would 'come to their senses'. After Blu observed no further interaction for a good few seconds, he decided to close the discussion.

"Alright then, seeing as there are no more questions; first off thank you Ripso." He thanked the blue macaw for his cooperation, who just smiled and nodded in return. He left the microphone, giving up his place for Blu to take. Once the two macaws switched places and Ripso sat down next to Rafael and Jewel, Blu continued.

"Now that we know both sides of the story and know every relevant information, I believe it is within everyone's interest to decide this delicate question in the form of a majority vote instead of a veto. If the voting is heavily one sided we can conclude shortly, if they are visibly well divided we will do an actual hardcopy. We will take a five minute break, giving time for everyone to decide." He informed the crowd about the voting process, which everyone listened to carefully. After that, he too left the microphone and walked back towards Rafael, Jewel and Ripso, leaving the rest alone so they can form their own opinions.

"A very nice job in guiding the conference. We could use that skill back in the fleet academy." Ripso complemented Blu's skills, but obviously joking. After a quick chuckle from the group he thanked him but also asked him something that will be relevant really soon.

"Thanks. If it is not a problem, I'd like to ask you something." Ripso was curious what could be on the blue macaw's mind. "Sure thing, what?"

"Let's say the voting will end up with us deciding that we will not help you. What would you do then?" The pilot was surprised but figured out the question was valid and did need to be addressed.

"I would once again thank the rescue, help out with whatever I can to repay the precious time spent on healing me up and then head out and finish my job." He replied, once again with a blank face without any visible emotion. Needless to say, the group was taken back by this response, he certainly was not lying about the fact he will do it regardless.

"Finish it? Alone, without equipment and in this storm?" Rafael repeated his partial answer, attaching several key facts about their situation. Ripso just nodded, not phased at all by these circumstances. He was about to elaborate when a high volume alarm filled the room, alerting everyone it was voting time. Blu as well as Ripso stood up and walked up to the microphone once again. The pilot took a few steps back, visibly distancing himself from the crowd as he couldn't vote.

"Alright, now that everyone had time to think about it. I believe it is time we cast our vote. A refresher for those who might have forgotten already." Blu spoke up, grabbing the attention of every bird within the conference room. "Should we aid Captain Ripso in his mission to retrieve his spaceship and jumping device with our resources and manpower, knowing the fact that by doing this we may draw a hostile alien race's attention on ourselves and possibly the planet?" He asked the oh so important question. After everyone clearly understood it, he spoke once again.

"Who votes against assistance, raise your wings now." The very first bird to do so was Denis, soon followed by about ten to twenty birds total. The blue and yellow macaw looked behind himself to confirm but the smile instantly vanished from his face seeing the results. _Are people really this stupid?!_ He thought to himself, horrified. Blu waited a few seconds to see if anyone else would vote this standpoint.

"Ok, votes recorded. Who votes in favor of assistance. Raise your wings now." For the pilot's luck, it seemed most birds took his side, with the whole conference room raising their wings with the exception of those who previously voted. From this first second reaction it was clear what the majority wanted, so Blu didn't even bother to wait for anyone to catch up.

"Votes recorded. With a clear majority in favor or assistance, it is settled. We will assist Captain Ripso in his mission to retrieve the objectives he requires." Blu concluded the conference, ending it with a storm of applause from the expedition members, with the exception of a few birds who were really pissed at the results.


	6. Repaying the debt Part 1

**Chapter 5**

Repaying the debt Part 1

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

"You know, I must be the luckiest bird alive. I managed to crash in the only place on the planet where my presence won't interfere with the outside world's events, and the camp I'm in is the only self-sustaining facility in thousands of kilometers." Ripso exclaimed, inspecting a strange machine from a glass window. The device was currently under maintenance by a crew of mechanics.

"You think so?" Blu asked, raising an eyebrow at the macaw. Ever since the conference, the macaw opened up slightly, perhaps he accepted and became comfortable in his skin, understanding his situation and what he must do. Ripso confirmed his previous statement. "Indeed. I was really worried that we are going to have to face possible Shawax forces without weapons, but these compact transportable factories could produce all the ammunition we need. And the mineral rich territories are a big plus."

"I wonder what the odds of that are." Blu replied, noting just how unlikely that actually was. He closely observed the contraption himself, as he never had to use them before. The government gave him twenty of these automated assembly machines. A wonderful technology, you just input a blueprint and all the raw resources, and the machine spits them out in less than half an hour.

"I'm worried about my raptor. Poor girl, I hope her electronics didn't give up yet under so much water for so long." He added, showing the typical affection and bonding every pilot eventually develops with their ship, something Blu could not really understand, but accepted nonetheless.

Blu got curious, that aircraft is probably unusable by now, so why he still had hopes was a mystery for him. "You have hopes in saving that? It looked like it took a hell of a beating. I was surprised it still functioned somewhat when we swam down there. And what caused it to actually open up? I didn't touch anything on the ship."

"Cassidy saw you two coming down. She couldn't do much with my sorry ass out cold so she opened up the hatch, hoping you two might be there to aid us. Lucky for me that's exactly why you came there for." Ripso chuckled.

"Well, you know, we birds have to stay together. Especially after everything you said." Blu replied, recalling the horrible reality that avian society must go through the near future. The pilot sighted. "I wish more people thought like you sooner." Blu thought about what Ripso just said, understanding why unification is so important. Avianity always accomplished great feats when they worked together, while producing the most horrible and regrettable things when they were divided.

He realized these were simply out of his control, therefore Blu decided to drop the thought in his mind. Instead, he looked down at his phone, reading the newest reports about the camp and the staff. His face displayed a mix of sorrow and sadness, which Ripso caught. He glanced over and managed to spot the big MISSING icon near six birds who were unfamiliar to him.

"Any news about your other team?" The pilot questioned, knowing the feeling all too well. As CAG he was responsible for many pilots, experienced and rookies a like. He trained many personally and know most if not all of them by their real names. The anxiety of knowing they might be in danger during a mission is real, although he got used to it, it was part of the military life after all, which he chose out of his own free will.

"No. Last message said they were bunkering down, but even if they rationed their supplies, it will run out in a few days. And this storm… The less we talk about it the better." Blu replied, just staring at the pictures in front of him. No doubt one or more of them must be a very close friend of his.

"All goes well the hurricane should weaken to a moderate level in a day. Then we can search for them. They can't be too far away. Besides, believe it or not the jungle is pretty good at providing shelter against even the wildest storms." Ripso attempted to reassure the blue macaw, as far as he knows the hurricane didn't take many lives, and even those were in rural areas on the northeast part of South America. Unless something unexpected happens, they should be able to survive the hurricane no problem.

"I wish I could share your optimism. I too hope for the best but I cannot be sure, it just frustrates me. Ah, anyway not really worth discussing it at this time… Rafael and I were thinking. What makes you so confident the enemy won't attack us while we build our defenses?" Blu asked, switching the topic as pondering over theoretical situations is not their profession, and they had better things to worry about.

Ripso chuckled at the question, although he understood Blu's standpoint. "The Shawax might pose intergalactic travel, but even they wouldn't dare to mess with Mother Earth when she is furious. And they would have to find us first. Easier said than done." The pilot stated, explaining just how powerless both parties are against nature.

"I'm pretty sure we can set up a proper line before they discover us. But we should hurry up once the storm drops in intensity, it won't take them too long. A team should launch a searching party to locate your friends once possible." He added, offering an advice regarding Blu's friends in the process.

Blu nodded in response, locking his phone after reading the last report. "Sorry but I must go now. Jewel is calling me for something." He excused himself, walking towards the corridor, disappearing after a sharp left turn, leaving the future bird to ponder to himself.

Blu walked inside the conference room, immediately spotting his wife talking with Rafael. In the other side of the room, birds were gearing up for something. It appeared to be rescue gear, but he had no idea what or how it could be used in this situation. He was worried something might have happened to a bird somewhere in the base. The macaw walked towards the duo, and Jewel caught him from the corner of her eye.

"What's going on? What's with the gearing up?" Jewel's expression was dark, and it didn't take Blu long to realized something bad has happened. That much was certain, the question now was where it happened and how severe is it. He was hoping his wife can answer these questions.

"We got a faint signal from Nico's team… Pedro is unconscious after a strong wind ripped apart his tent and the metal support rod hit him on the head. Their medic did what she could, but his condition is worsening by the minute. Probably internal brain damage if he cannot get advanced medical attention in a day or less." Blu was speechless for a moment, after regaining his composure he turned towards the toucan, who remained silent during this exchange.

"When are they going?" Blu asked, indicating the rescue team who are now looking at a map, probably trying to figure out the best route to get to Pedro regarding the conditions they have available. Rafael called out to them and told them to come from where they were standing.

"As soon as we are ready." The toucan simply replied, not too much emotion on his face. The cold attitude meant that this was indeed a serious matter, this side of Rafael was really rare to be seen. " _We_? You are going too?! Rafael going outside there is suicide. There is no way anyone could fly in these winds." Blu exclaimed, not believing the plan that was presented to him. He anxiously walked back and forth, trying to come up with a reasonable plan, but failed to do so. This frustrated the macaw beyond healthy limits.

"There is no other option. Unless we do something, he will definitely die. That is not something my contract allows." Denis explained, now standing in full gear next to his fellow teammates. Blu was surprised to find the blue and yellow macaw here, remembering he was not happy one bit about the vote result yesterday. Before he could question it, he was interrupted by another bird.

"Come on, we will do our best. You know us Blu, a little gust of wind can't knock us down." A harpy eagle spoke up, the blind and probably naïve confidence earning a slight annoyance from the blue macaw.

"Your optimism will get you killed one day Daniel. And just how do we plan on carrying Pedro back?" The group fell silent. They had several ideas but none of them were optimal. Each idea carried several risks with them that just made it either too dangerous or reckless. They had to come up with something fast, because the time was ticking.

"What type of helicopter do we have on hand?" A new voice chimed in the conversation. The group of birds turned towards the source of the sound which originated from the doorway. The familiar blue macaw entered the room after eavesdropping on the conversation, which didn't seem to bother anyone in the room since they all had more important matters to think about.

"Were in a middle of a hurricane…" Denis spoke up, trying to reason but got silenced when Ripso put up one of his wings and interrupted the blue and yellow macaw while repeating his previous question, standing his ground.

"What type of helicopter do we have? Is it or are they operational?" After a few seconds of thinking and recalling, Jewel answered, although unsure of herself. "We have several, but most of them are under repair or broken, we have a Chinook and a Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk right now."

"The Chinook is too heavy. But the S-70 Black Hawk? Hmm…" Ripso repeated, deep in thought, analyzing the physical properties of the helicopter. After weighing the options available to him, considering the pros and cons the macaw decided to share his quickly formulated idea with the curiously and anxiously waiting group.

"All right. I can guarantee a safe scratch-less flight and landing with a maximum wind speed of 180 km/h. If I remember correctly, a high-pressure storm wave will reach us in about twenty minutes. That is our window of opportunity. Get the rescue team fully geared up, grab the equipment and meet me here in ten minutes." The birds scattered, proceeding with the commands they were just given to them. Although Ripso was only a temporary member who should have had no rank to give orders, the others were too surprised or confused, and the worry for their friend made them completely forget this fact.

* * *

Ten minutes later

"Alright. Let's see what we have. One person in critical condition, five others awaiting evacuation. Radio communication is jammed, wind speeds disable regular flying." Ripso read the report, listing the known information to a newly formed bigger group of birds, all tasked with the rescue mission. "Here's what I think. We precisely know our target's location. Since we have no free radio, and our movement is limited, we will use an old trick that proved to be quite effective against the Shawax invasion."

"First off, we are going to carry shorter but powerful ranged relay coms at a given distance to establish and maintain a connection with home base. The coms used at the main antenna array should be perfect for the job." He explained, showing points on the map, getting closer to their destination with each red dot he placed. Ripso looked at Rafael and the harpy eagles.

"The rescue team will move _under_ the treetops. The S-70 can handle the wind speeds but birds cannot. Fortunately for us, the jungle is perfect for absorbing most of the wind's power, flying about two to three meters below the tops should result in acceptable conditions for regular avian flight."

"Meanwhile I will fly directly above the jungle, this way maximizing the upwards thrust the helicopter experiences. Fighting against such winds should decrease my speed to levels that the ground group can easily keep up with, but also fast enough that it will not crash."

"The 'ground' team's job will be to place down the coms at well sheltered locations, allowing us to have constant communication. Remember to secure them tightly, a single broken link is enough to cut us off, and that would not be a pleasant experience. Once we locate the targets, I will lower down so we can pick up the injured bird."

"When that is done, ground team meets up with the remaining targets and falls back, following the relay coms, picking them up along the way. If we do it fast enough I calculated we can be back in less than an hour… _Before_ the lower pressure wave hits." Ripso finished speaking, observing the other bird's reactions. Rafael glanced over to Blu, who just nodded his head in approval. The toucan turned towards the pilot.

"Seems like a good enough plan. But you will need someone to maintain the connection. Any ideas?" The macaw shook his head in disappointment. He was not able to find a bird that could perform the job currently, which is an essential role in the entire operation.

"No, I'm currently open to suggestions. I ran through a quick list about everyone's qualifications, but no ideal match came up for this job." Silence took over the room, everybody pondering who would be perfect for the job. Blu looked around, thinking about the possibilities. Suddenly an idea popped into his mind which could just work, but some birds will certainly not like it. He took a deep breath, a spark of determination appeared on his face.

"I'll handle the connection." Jewel immediately looked over the table at her husband. She was evidently upset and tried to protest and talk reason into her mate, who had this ridiculous idea.

"Blu! You cannot possibly think you can fly that helicopter. Especially under these conditions! Wouldn't someone like Matt be a better choice?" Sometimes she just didn't understand how his husband worked. Blu saw it, expected it and already had facts that helped him to explain his reasoning.

"Matt is a great pilot but has no clue how to operate that relay equipment. I'm the only one who has qualifications for communications **and** flying… Even if my pilot carrier failed horribly. And besides, they are my team, therefore my responsibility. What kind of leader would I be if I left them on their own honey?" He asked his wife, but also directing the question towards the rest of the group who might have doubts. "Not a good one." Blu added shortly after. Meanwhile Ripso looked at the time.

"I think it's time we move. Our window is closing fast." The group hesitantly but nodded and left the conference room, walking towards the hangar to get ready for the rescue operation. Half way through the route Ripso made an unexpected detour towards the medical wing.

"Where are you going?" Rafael yelled back, not knowing why the macaw went in a totally different direction. He supposedly knows the way around by now, so no way that he would have messed up the route. The pilot yelled back at the still moving group.

"Getting my flight suit. Get ready at the hangar!" He replied, disappearing behind the corner. A minute later the group arrived at the hangar, where the area has been cleared from all the tools and other aircraft, making room for the only functioning helicopter.

"Blu, I'm worried about your safety. Do you really have to do this?" Jewel asked Blu, still not accepting his role in the mission. Still, she helped him put on his own flight suit. A couple of birds were trying out strange boxes with antennas in the corner, which were probably these relays Ripso was talking about. Rafael instructed the rescue team on how to use them properly.

"You know the answer my love." Blu replied, moving in for a passionate kiss, which Jewel gladly accepted. Their moment was left uninterrupted for several seconds before Ripso barged in the hangar, now fully geared with his futuristic looking suit causing quite a commotion.

"All right, you're not in some romantic tragedy story, this isn't that risky of a mission compared to other things I planned before." He spoke, passing the couple and entering the helicopter from the pilot's side, before plugging a strange hard drive looking device into the control panel. The blue macaw pair looked into each other's eye for a few moments before parting away.

"Stay safe." Jewel whispered, her voice almost inaudible. Blu smiled, hopping on the helicopter before replying. "I will."

… _Mission control to_ _all non essential personnel, leave the hangar area immediately. Takeoff in 30 seconds. Over_ … A female voice announced over the radio. Blu watched as the love of his life flew away, eventually leaving the hangar with the rest of the staff, leaving them alone in the enormous hangar.

"We'll be back before you know it. I promise you I will do everything in my power to get everyone back in one piece. Think of it as payment for saving my life." The pilot reassured him. Blu chucked before remarking.

"You better. Otherwise I'll make you scrub the entire bathroom with your own toothbrush… Is that threat still used?" Ripso laughed with the macaw. "Of course. The classic threats never get old."

Blu glanced over at the control panel once Ripso turned on the power. Slowly the helicopter's engine roared to life, the blades turning faster and faster. "What is that thing you hooked up?"

"That? A neural interface. Got it from the helmet, it helps me pilot. Since I haven't actually flown this before, these were withdrawn from service 30 years ago. I can get the hang of it in a few minutes, no need for hours of training." Blu became uneasy after hearing this, but quickly forgot about it when he heard the hangar's doors open.

The sudden cool rush of wind hit the aircraft, wiggling its frame a bit before Ripso stabilized it by increasing the forward thrust. After about twelve seconds the doors completely opened up, revealing the storm ravaged jungle in front of them. Truly a terrifying sight, but anything to save their friend.

… _Mission control to Foxtrot one, you are clear for takeoff. Over_ …

"Mission control this is Foxtrot one, clearance received, taking off now. Foxtrot one out." Ripso replied on the radio, and after receiving the take-off clearance, the five-ton helicopter lifted itself off the ground and steadily flew outside the windy jungle, towards their friend's last know location.

* * *

A quick note for those who don't really watch the info tab, I created something that may or may not be that useful. Time will tell. Check the latest author's notes for more info.


	7. Repaying the debt Part 2

**Chapter 6**

Repaying the debt Part 2

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

The harsh winds relentlessly assaulted the jungle tree tops. A group of harpy eagles and a blue and yellow macaw with a toucan in front led them to an unknown location. Rafael continuously watched the outlines of the helicopter above them, following the aircraft as best he could. Inside the helicopter's cockpit, Blu and Ripso worked together, making sure to stay on course towards their injured member. The relative weak hurricane, but still strong winds occasionally shook the aircraft, but the pilot made sure to correct them.

"Packet loss is starting to increase above the safe limit. I think it is time for another relay." Blu warned, observing the connection with the camp.

"We already flew 16 kilometers and only used 3 relays? That is good progress. Alert Rafael." Ripso replied, surprised how far they got before needing the next extension. The helicopter slowly decreased its speed until it was hovering in the air.

Under them the ground group stopped, landing on a nearby branch. The toucan looked around, searching for a well-protected area where they could place the radio relay. The best possible place would be a tree hollow or the underside of a big branch, but they got lucky and he managed to spot a sizable empty hollow.

"Daniel, Denis, there is an empty hollow to my left. That would be a perfect place to put it." Rafael yelled to the harpy eagle and blue and yellow macaw close to him. After pointing with his wing, the birds spotted the hollow and flew inside it.

Daniel removed the relay that was strapped to his back. After examining the interior, he decided a perfect place to secure the device. Using screws and cables the eagle firmly attached it to the wooden wall of the hollow. Meanwhile Denis removed a protecting cover on the top of the box shaped repeater. Grabbing it with his claw he firstly walked and once at the entrance flew towards the treetops.

The flexible wire served as an antenna, therefore the longer it was the better. The eagle assisted in managing the antenna, making sure the delicate equipment would not brake. The blue and yellow macaw unsuspectingly flew so high he left the protection of the treetops and got hit with such force by the wind the bird almost crashed into the forest.

After regaining his composure, he stabilized it in its final position. After signaling his partner, the eagle tied the antenna to a thicker branch, securing it tightly. Denis quickly dove under the treetops, once again enjoying the relative safety of the jungle. After landing on the branch with the rest of them to catch his breath, the harpy eagle teased him.

"Looks like someone overestimated the hurricane just a _little_ bit." The blue and yellow macaw was annoyed but ignored it, later on chuckling at the banter. He confirmed their job's success to the toucan. "The relay is on, you can signal the chopper." Rafael patted his back, after which he called Blu on the radio, informing him about their success. A few seconds later the helicopter bent over slightly and slowly flew away, gaining speed at a fast rate.

"Chopper on the way. Let's go!" Rafael yelled back, catching everyone's attention. The group leaped forward, continuing to follow the blue macaws under the cover of the leaves. Even with the added protection, the winds made flying a very difficult task to do, but every one of them was willing to do whatever it takes to save their friend.

* * *

Sometime later at the camp

Jewel stood in front of a big screen in the communication tower, following two red dots with her eyes. Blu contacted her every ten minutes, making sure the connection was intact as well as progress and position report. So far, they placed down four relays, which was less than expected. Unfortunately, this was still enough to increase the latency to a noticeable amount. Suddenly a voice spoke through without any warning.

" _Mrs. Gunderson? May I trouble you for a moment?_ " The feminine synthetic voice chimed in the radio, catching the blue macaw's attention right away. Jewel was puzzled at first, what could Ripso's AI possibly want with her in the middle of this important mission? "Uh. Yes? How can I help?" She replied, uncertain about the AI's motives.

" _Ripso as well as Mr. Gunderson are currently occupied with their duties, and I do not wish to disturb them with this. However, I'm receiving inconsistent data regarding our position. Our actual and supposed location do not match._ _It would appear as we are slowly drifting off course. Would it be possible to check and validate these coordinates?_ " CASSIDY finished the question, meanwhile sending over information which was later converted to flight plans displayed on the monitor. Jewel looked over them, seeing a small change, but nothing drastic enough to be considered a problem. "You are slightly going off course, but nothing I would worry about." She replied. "Oh, and please, call me Jewel." She quickly added.

" _As you wish, Jewel. Thank you for the information._ "

"Got an update on the team?" She questioned, thinking if she is in contact with them she might as well ask.

" _The helicopter is holding up well considering the wind speeds. Ground team is also reporting OK. Another twenty minutes and we should be there._ " CASSIDY swiftly answered, after which the radio line went silent as no information exchange was needed.

Meanwhile back in the helicopter, Blu attempted to contact Nico, hoping their proximity will be enough to get a steady connection for a quick information exchange. After the fifth attempt in the span of 10 minutes, he was about to lose hope when the computer picked up a weak signal and made a call.

* * *

Temporary camp, 8 km south from rescue team

More than a day has passed since the start of the hurricane. Between the base of two giant jungle trees were the wobbly but stable structure of a tent, big enough to hold six birds inside. A red crested cardinal laid on his back, seemingly knocked out. His head was wrapped around by multiple bloody bandages. Next to him was a female Lear's macaw, who periodically placed a wet towel over the cardinal's swollen temple.

A duo of cranes slept a few meters away from the injured bird and his caretaker, somehow able to sleep in the restless storm. In the other side of the tent, a male pelican looked at a male yellow canary, who kept walking back and forth.

"Nico, my man, you need to take a rest. You heard Jane, Pedro is way more stable than a few hours ago. You are no use to anyone if you are tired." The pelican spoke, concerned for his friend's well-being. The smaller but usually more energetic canary stopped walking and faced the pelican, visibly upset.

"Rest?! I can't go to rest! My best buddy got smacked in the head with a big steel beam. A little stronger and he could have ended up dead. Right now dealing with a concussion." Nico paused for a few seconds, taking a breath and adjusting his composure.

"If he does not get help, like, medical help he can easily die! And we have this super weird, stupid storm that makes it impossible for us to talk with Blu, not to mention fly there. Andrew, I have no idea what to do…" The canary vented, sitting down on the floor. Neither birds knew what to add in to the conversation, so silence fell upon the small tent's interior for a few minutes, the only audible sounds being the strong winds and the raindrops constantly hitting the waterproof fabric.

Suddenly the laptop next to them woke up from hibernation, disturbing the silence. Both birds jumped, but Nico quickly snapped out of it and flew in front of the portable electronic device so fast his body was a yellow blur to the pelican.

Right after accepting the call, the canary met the face of a familiar blue macaw who was just as surprised as he was. "Blu! How did you contact us in this weather? And what's with the flight suit?" Nico asked, noticing the odd background and wear on the macaw.

"Simple, I'm in a helicopter close to you… No time to explain, pack up your gear, we're coming for Pedro. Rafael's team is here with us to help pack up." Blu responded, instructing his friend about what to do. The canary cried out in shock, not believing what his supposed rescuers are attempting to do.

"Say what now?! You are coming here in a helicopter? In THIS storm?!"

"Hurricane." Blu corrected, making Nico even more agitated. He was pretty sure Blu got knocked in the head just like Pedro, because this is the definition of crazy in his book. His short panic attack was halted when the blue macaw spoke once again.

"We got a little help from someone. We got maybe 30 to 40 minutes to get back to camp. So be ready when we get there!" Blu explained, after which he cut the call. By now everyone woke up and gathered around the laptop. The feed was cut, turning the screen black once again.

The group immediately got to work, packing up the things that were scattered around the tent, while the medic named Jane prepared Pedro for transport. Sure enough, five minutes after the miracle call the distinct sound of a helicopter was picked up in the wind. Nico and Andrew flew out of the protection of the tent and steadily made their way to the treetops. Looking around the duo spotted the outlines of the machine responsible for the sound. As the helicopter came closer and slowed down, the canary spotted Blu in the copilot seat, next to him a completely unfamiliar face.

A strong gust of wind almost blew Nico away, reminding him about their situation. He popped a flare, holding it as high as he could. The red colored smoke filled a thick trail, making it easy for Blu and Ripso to spot him even in the dense fog and rain obstructed view.

"There they are! Can you land there? How close can you go?" Blu asked, pointing his wingtip at the newly formed flare cloud. Ripso observed the treetops, trying to find a big enough gap to lower most of the chopper down.

"Negative. There isn't a big enough clearing to fly down completely." The macaw replied. Blu became uneasy hearing this response. "Then what are we going to do?" The pilot pondered for a moment, before an idea formed in his mind.

"I'll hover above the camp while they pack up. With Rafael's team they should be able to transfer your friend aboard. We also got a spare place for the medic. I can handle the chopper, go down and help them coordinate it." Blu nodded, unstrapping himself from the helicopter's seat. After moving to the cargo hold, he slowly opened the right side door, letting the gush of cold wind fill the interior.

Ripso slowly rotated the aircraft, attempting to shield the entrance by using the aircraft's body itself. The idea worked, as Blu was able to fly out with relatively no effort. He quickly dived under the treetops, immediately meeting the canary on a big branch.

"Blu!"

"Nico! What's the situation?"

"Not good man. We really need to get Pedro back, Jane is not sure how long she can keep him alive. Where are the others?" Nico asked. Right on cue, Rafael's team appeared from the dense forest, landing next to the duo. They exchanged glances, before the toucan spoke. "How is the packing going? Where do you need us?" The canary turned around, explaining the work that needs to be done.

"We need two more birds on the left side helping to pack up the food supplies. Electronics are mostly secured; a helping wing might be good there too. The rest are needed to disassemble the tents."

"That's doable. Alright, let's get going then!" Rafael replied, as the group flew off the branch and scattered. A few kilometers north, research base got the newest weather report. Jewel opened it right up, inspecting it thoroughly. It didn't take her too long to get worried. She closed the report quickly and called the chopper.

… _Foxtrot one, Blu? Anyone copy? Over_ … The unexpected voice caught Ripso's attention. He flicked a lever with his right wingtip, turning on the microphone.

"This is Ripso speaking. Blu is helping with the extraction process. Want me to relay a message? Over." The reply came quickly through the headset.

… _No that's actually better! I just got the newest weather report. Bad news… Some weather anomaly just showed up and its coming in fast_ …

"ETA?" The male cut her sentence, his voice changed to a more serious tone. Jewel stopped for a moment after the sudden cut but regained her composure.

… _10 to 15 minutes for your location. Over_ …

"Well that's just great! I'll inform the others. Foxtrot one out." The macaw replied sarcastically. With that out of the way, Ripso switched lines to the extraction team's frequency, making sure everyone can hear him when he breaks the news.

"Alright boys and girls, hurry up, we got a low-pressure anomaly coming our way. We do NOT want to be here when that lands. Pack up what you can in 5 minutes and start moving out. I'm afraid you'll have to leave the rest behind. How is the injured bird doing?"

Blu and Jane secured Pedro as tightly as possible. The Lear's macaw stayed next to the bed like glue, because some equipment like the IV stand could not be properly secured. When they prepped their friend for transport, Blu responded to the question.

"We got Pedro prepped, we can lift him up as soon as you are ready!" Denis joined in on the radio chatter. "We can help you get him on the helicopter. Our work is done, we packed up what we could. Could have used more time though." Ripso laughed at the wish. "Hah! Tell that to mother nature. Anyways, I'll keep the chopper steady, you guys worry about getting the wounded inside."

With that, the group got to work. Daniel and Denis flew inside the chopper and grabbed two reinforced ropes, which were going to be used to secure Pedro's bed while they get him to safety. By now the windspeed started to increase slightly, not enough to make it hard to combat but still noticeable. The blue and yellow macaw and harpy eagle found a suitable location to secure the ropes.

Once that was done, Blu and Jane attached Pedro's stretch on the newly placed ropes. With the added stability they could now lift him up easier, as they had one less angle to worry about.

Both birds counted down together, synching up their movements to make sure the stretch stays in balance. In less than a second, their talons left the branch, and began to move their friend towards the chopper. The harsh winds nudged the rope rails, forcing Blu and Jane to keep balancing themselves.

Meanwhile Rafael flew inside the chopper, standing at the edge of the entrance, waiting for Pedro to get closer. Soon enough, the stretch came into reach, and the toucan grabbed it as hard as he could. Now with the added support, it was possible to move the injured bird inside the wobbly vehicle, allowing Rafael to securely tie it to the frame of the chopper. After locking the final joints of the bed, the mission's first half was officially complete.

Blu and Jane flew inside the cargo hold, exchanging quick glances with the black toucan, who instead left it, joining his crew that was mostly still under the treetops. By his command, Denis and Daniel untied the ropes that once connected the helicopter with the top of the trees.

The blue macaw quickly rolled them up, after which he proceeded to close the right side door. With that closed, the chaotic environment changed to a calmer, less cold one. The secured door indicator flashed up on Ripso's console, who looked behind to catch a quick glance at the medic as well as Blu.

Blu entered the cockpit, leaving his friend in the professional wings of Jane. He shook his body slightly to get the water off of his suit. Once he was sufficiently dry, Blu sat down next to Ripso. "We are done. Rafael said the ground team is packed up and ready. Let's get out of here, pronto."

"Aye aye commander." The pilot replied instantly, obeying the command that was given to him subconsciously without question. The helicopter finally tilted itself, the force generated by its powerful rotors pushing the craft forward.


	8. Repaying the debt Part 3

**Chapter 7**

Repaying the debt Part 3

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

The rescue team hurried back to the safety of their camp, which was now only a few kilometers away. Jewel kept them updated every five minutes, but each time the news was worse than the last. The weather anomaly grew at an exponential rate, catching up with the already stressed and overly pushed helicopter at a high rate.

It became apparent quickly that the ground team will not make it back in time, because of this Blu instructed Rafael to descend deeper into the jungle, this way they will be protected from the upcoming hurricane category winds. This also meant that their speed will be severely reduced, as now they had to carry equipment with them, which makes navigation harder than usual in the dense foliage.

In the cargo hold, Jane monitored the wounded cardinal's vital signs, making sure to keep the bird stable as best she could. On the side of the bed, she wrote down everything about Pedro, so the medical staff can begin treatment immediately after arriving home. The hold was relatively quiet, the most audible sound being the blades of the helicopter, as well as the occasional clink sound of equipment touching because of the wind rocking the aircraft slightly.

She took a quick sip from the water bottle placed next to the stretch, the cold liquid cooling the young Lear's macaw's throat, hoping it will lower her body temperature which increased after the very demanding tasks she had to perform. She still had no idea what was actually happening, the temptation to just bust inside the cockpit and ask was really hard to fight.

She will have to wait for them to safely get back before she can know anything, as right now removing her attention from Pedro even for a second could be deadly for the cardinal. All she knew was that a very unusual tropical storm turned into the strongest hurricane in history, which made landfall over the Amazon and will stay there for a very long time, since the storm feeds from warm water, and the rainforest is full of that.

Her current situation is not exactly safe either. If her patient would not be in such a bad condition, she would never have allowed an aircraft to pick them up in this hazardous weather. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how screwed their expedition was all together. Right now, she could only pray that nothing bad happens during the remainder of their trip. For the most part, the trip was uneventful, not counting the occasional dips and shakes of the aircraft.

All of that changed when suddenly a massive gust of wind slammed into the helicopter from the right side, tilting the craft by as much as 60 degrees, causing Jane to lose balance and fall on the side of the stretch. Thankfully she didn't injure Pedro, she hurried to get up and keep the bed in place at all costs.

"Hey! I'm trying to keep a person alive in here! What's going on out there?!" She yelled, hoping her voice can pierce the deafening sound of equipment slamming to the floor of the cargo hold. Sure enough, Blu heard her and responded, at least that is what she though. In reality he was yelling because of shock.

"A freaking tornado! Where did that come from?!" A massive tornado formed just a few kilometers from their location, it's wind speeds so great nearby massive trees got picked up with their whole body just swinging around the wall of air. Ripso saw it too and he was not happy about it.

"Hold on!" He exclaimed, before turning the aircraft to face the source of the wind, which happens to be the newly formed tornado. He knew that their best chance was if they faced it directly, as getting hit by side winds could flip over the helicopter, killing them instantly. They were only three kilometers from base, it's outlines were now clearly visible on the horizon. Their best bet would be to fly in a zig zag pattern, but its drawback being slower movement speed.

Meanwhile the weather anomaly continued to creep up behind them, the immense force so strong it started to affect the tornado, increasing its power, making the helicopter even slower. Meanwhile at the research base the staff was horrified when they spotted the tornado that just spawned near them. The fortifications raised by Rafael could withstand it, but the helicopter and the ground team could certainly not.

"By the time they get here the winds are going to be blowing sideways." Jewel spoke under her breath, almost trembling, worried about her friends but most importantly her husband.

Blu and the others continued to race through the air, their goal only a few thousand meters away. He didn't really know what to do, Ripso was busy flying the chopper, which somehow still operated, while Jane was doing everything to keep Pedro from falling over.

" _Mr. Gunderson_." He picked up the distinct synthesized female sound over the radio. " _I have analyzed the weather anomaly and the tornado's exchange of energy. From my calculations, you will not be able to reach the base at an optimal way. I calculated a flight plan which will allow you to enter the hangar at the best angle to increase the chance of survival_."

The flight plan was soon displayed on the screen in front of the macaw. For the most part it looked like a doable path with straights and a few curves, but the final part made him look at the screen with wide eyes.

"That is suicide!" He yelled out loud, not agreeing with the plan at all. Ripso glanced over, inspecting the plan himself, not liking the idea. He did agree however that they can't fly in normally, they didn't really have a choice in the matter. He took a deep breath.

"I can do it." Blu removed his eyes from the screen and directed it at the other macaw sitting next to him. The macaw looked back and asked. "What? I flied it just fine until now didn't I? We can't land any other way, we don't have a choice. But I need your help, I cannot do it alone."

"What do I need to do?"

"See that lever?" He asked Blu, pointing at lever on his side of the control panel. The macaw nodded.

"I'm going to fly near the base, when we get to the curve line on the flight path, I want you to pull it. It will cut off the power from the engine, that will let us slide in without the blades tearing the hangar apart."

"But the engine block has a security override on it. You can't just kill it like that." Blu responded, not understanding how this plan should work.

"I know. You will need to cut the auxiliary cables. They are in the back, next to the cargo door controls."

"But who will co-pilot with you then?"

"I'll do it… Anything I can cut it with?" A new voice chimed in the conversation. The two males looked back at the cabin's door where Jane stood.

"Jane! What about Pedro?" Blu asked, not too fond of these turns of events. The Lear's macaw moved out of the way, revealing a cardinal who was strapped to the bed with 2 times more ropes than before.

"He won't move a centimeter. Now, what can I cut it with and when?" Ripso looked at Blu, asking for permission to tell her the location, the other macaw just nodded silently.

"To your left, it should be in a box in the second shelf. I'll yell when you can cut it." The pilot responded, directing his full attention back at flying. Jane stepped over fallen boxes and tools, making her way towards the mentioned shelf. Once she got near it, she grabbed one side of it to balance herself. She dug her claw in the box, searching it for the required tool.

After about six seconds, she managed to find it and removed it from the box. By this time, the two pilots in the cockpit were growing more anxious by the second. The cross winds were now howling at the helicopter, as if their only purpose was to overthrow it. Jane flew to the other side of the hold and found the panel, but the access was blocked by a metal frame. She dropped the wire cutter and picked up a much heavier object, slamming it at the smaller lock.

The tiny lock gave in to the power and broke instantly, it's many pieces falling to the floor making a clink sound that was somehow still audible even in the storm. She grabbed the cutter once again, raised it at eye level just in time for the command which came from Blu.

"Jane! Cut it now!" Jane snapped the two joints together with all her might, and after a quarter of a second managed to cut through the wire, severing the connection with the failsafe system. The engine could now be shut down easily.

"It's done!" She yelled back to the pilots. With her mission complete, she dropped the tool and immediately flew back to the stretch, determined to hold it in place no matter what happens. In the cockpit, Blu and Ripso were waiting for her conformation, to be able to proceed with the plan. The radio turned on once again, this time with Jewel's voice on the line.

… _Guys, we removed what we can from the hangar, emergency team is waiting at the inner door. Where are you right now?_ ...

"We are coming in hot. Get everyone out of there, I want nobody near the entrances until we stop moving. What about Rafael and Nico?" Blu asked, handling controls to aid Ripso with the piloting which has become near impossible.

… _They checked in via radio a minute ago. They are OK, it is you we are worried about. How is Pedro?_ ...

"He will survive this, **if** we get there in one piece." Blu responded, dealing a heavy emphasize on the if word. The chopper was about to enter the final curve of the flight plan, the supposed stunt that will save their lives only seconds away. The passengers of the aircraft held their breath, concentrating on the task ahead. As the helicopter began its final tilt, Blu blocked everything from his mind, tunnel vision formed around the control panel and windshield, time itself practically slowed down to a total halt.

"PULL IT!" The macaw flicked the lever as soon as his brain registered the command, his wing moved so fast it will probably hurt for the next few hours. Once the lever was flipped, the loud engine's roar died down instantly, killing all resistance the aircraft opposed on the harsh outside winds. The momentum continued to carry it forward, but air resistance as well as constant wind blowing slowed it down until it finally stopped in mid-air for a moment.

A fraction of a second later the tornado's force came out on top, and pushed the aircraft sideways, directly at the hangar's entrance, just as planned. By using the tail rotor, the helicopter was able to quickly align itself with the hangar, now the only thing left to do was to hold on to anything graspable.

In less than five seconds the helicopter was practically blown inside the hangar. Its tail getting caught at the left door, which spun the aircraft around its axis as it continued to fly inside. The right side of the helicopter slammed into the hangar's durable steel wall, creating a noticeable dent in the process. This produced an almost deafening sound, which rocked the entire tree's foundation where the hangar was placed upon.

Cabinets, tools and other equipment crashed at the floor in the cargo bay, miraculously without hitting Jane or Pedro. The force of the impact blown open both doors, which got bent so much they broke off completely. In the cockpit, the windshield shattered to a million pieces, most of it however fell to the ground instead of the inside. Jewel immediately ordered the doors to be sealed.

The giant metal frames moved quickly, closing the gap where the strong winds continued to blow inside the building. Once they shut, relative silence fell upon the space inside, the only audible sources coming from the now wrecked helicopter, which mostly consisted of smaller pieces of glass crashing into something and occasional sparks from fried or damaged electronics.

The inner doors opened up and birds of all kinds rushed in, with Jewel in the lead, flying faster than ever in her life. All she wanted was Blu to be OK, she couldn't bear the thought of losing her love. Just seeing the aircraft in such a state made her both horrified and mad at the same time.

On the other side, Blu slowly raised his head, every movement sent aches around his body. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times to regain clear vision. Once it was sharp enough, his gaze fell on his own body, inspecting the possible damage done to it. He was pleasantly surprised to see that with the exception of bruises and a few cuts here and there he made it in one piece without any noticeable wounds.

Next to him, Ripso got up as well, mostly unscratched, with one larger cut on the right side of his wing. He sat up straight, kicking a part of the windshield off of himself. Both macaws got up from their chairs and walked into the cargo bay. Jane just regained consciousness, raising her head from the side of the stretch.

"Are we dead?" She asked half awake, attempting to stand up but failing to do so alone.

"Nope. Thanks to all of our efforts, we are in one piece." Blu replied, putting a wing around the Lear's macaw to support her while she stood up.

"Nature pranked us big time. But we are here and that's all that matters. I'll get the wounded off the chopper, go ahead. There could be a fuel leak anywhere, we can't stay here." Ripso chimed in, urging the macaws to leave the helicopter right now. While the duo slowly walked towards the exit, the blue macaw grabbed the stretch and pushed it towards the helicopter exit which was now completely open. The bed moved easily even though the ground was littered with sharp broken glass and other debris.

"BLU!" An excited voice made Blu snap to attention immediately, scanning the room for the source. A moment later he spotted a group closing in towards him, with his wife in the front. A smile formed on his face, glad to see her again. Not soon after the two groups met up near the helicopter's wreckage. Blu let go of Jane who could now walk on her own feet.

Jewel and Blu locked eye gaze for a moment, before the female practically lunged forward, trapping his beak in hers. Seconds later they broke the kiss, still staring at each other's eyes, completely oblivious to the group standing next to them. They just smiled in return.

"I told you I'd be back." He spoke, not removing eye contact. No matter how long they were together, those set of turquoise eyes could never be less than mesmerizing. Once she finally calmed down knowing her husband is safe, Jewel turned towards the Lear's macaw and hugged her, happy to see her friend is all right. "I'm so glad to see you are alright Jane."

"I'm happy to see you too. I've been in good hands." The Lear's macaw replied, breaking the hug, pointing to Blu with her head. The happy reunion ended when the sound of a stretch came into hearing range. The group turned their attention at the newest bird in the scene, all though he was not exactly in the best of shape.

The medical personnel left the group and took the stretch from Ripso, moving the injured cardinal towards the medical bay. Jane gave her notebook to a nearby nurse before sending her off her way. She turned towards Jewel to calm her. "He is all right. I managed to stabilize him until we got here, the medical professionals can take care of him now. He will live thanks to Blu and Rafael's rescue mission." A few seconds later Jane remembered the pilot of the helicopter was completely unknown to her, which was really odd since she personally had to catalogue every bird who entered the mission. She looked around the hangar, trying to locate the stranger. She found him just as he approached the group.

The blue macaw looked back for a moment, catching a glance at the wrecked helicopter. He quickly turned his head around, guilt taking over his mood which was rather happy moments ago. "My apologies about the helicopter… I need to get this flight suit off and I can assist in any repair attempts."

"It's all right." Blu said, not mad about the helicopter's loss, but Ripso didn't hear it, as he was rambling about the situation, thinking how he could make up for his evidently "bad" handling of their only operational aircraft.

"I though the interface will help me adjust enough to operate the helicopter, but it appears the training was not exactly enough…"

"Ripso, OK, it is not a problem." Blu responded one again, but the macaw was not having any of it, still too focused on his monologue to hear him. The two females were amused, while Blu was getting more and more annoyed.

"A helicopter is not exactly like a Raptor or Viper so it was difficult to handle, but that is no excuse and I take all responsibility…" The other blue macaw finally lost patience, he took a deep breath before raising his voice to make sure it actually goes through this time.

"RIPSO!" The pilot shut up, the loud voice breaking his bubble of rambling. By instinct he snapped to attention. This caused the group to chuckle. Now that the macaw stopped talking and was listening, Blu moved closer and put a wing on his shoulder. "I don't care if you crash all our helicopters. Nobody here could have taken off in this weather, let alone go through the whole mission."

"Thanks to you, my friend and every other bird got back safely, and is healing as we speak. We saved your life, you helped save one of ours. We're even now." Ripso was silent, thinking about what Blu just said. After a few seconds he nodded his head in agreement. Blu moved his wing away, giving back the pilot's personal space. Ripso looked at the Lear's macaw next to Jewel, who was patiently waiting for a chance to speak. The blue macaw beat her to it.

"I was hoping we would have a chance to speak in a less rushed and deadly time miss…" His voice trailed off, trying to recall her name but failed to do so. The female caught on quick and finished his sentence.

"Jane." She introduced herself.

"Ripso. We should move along, that wreckage is not safe to be around." The macaw introduced himself but also urged the group to move along. Sure enough, everyone started walking towards the doors. They were maybe half way when the hangar doors moved once again, opening the metal seals letting in the cold and wet breeze. At first the group thought the doors malfunctioned, but soon enough a smaller flock of birds flew inside. The flock was no other than Rafael's rescue team, fully soaked by water.

"Well, someone decided to go take a swim." Blu commented, while his group met up with Rafael's so they can assist in moving the equipment back to storage. The toucan was annoyed seeing his friend's smug face. He was about to say something but glanced at the opposite side of the hangar and spotted the wreck. Blu caught on and the smug instantly vanished from his face.

"I see the co-pilot role worked out great for you." Rafael shot back, laughing at his friend's sudden change of mood. Blu accepted his humiliation and laughed along. Moments later the whole group was laughing. They promptly left the hangar to let the staff clean up the huge mess that littered the whole floor.


	9. Getting to know the people Part 1

**Chapter 8**

Getting to know the people Part 1

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Two hours have passed since the end of the successful rescue operation. Pedro was brought to the infirmary as soon as the helicopter 'landed', if we can call it that. The unconscious bird miraculously suffered no extensive injuries during the crash, so that was one thing less for the medical team to worry about. Thanks to the expertise and professional work of Jane, the cardinal was stabilized enough to prevent fatal brain injuries. After receiving the proper medical treatment and a smaller necessary operation to remove a few shards of fractured bone, Pedro was now steadily healing.

This week turned out to be full of surprises for the doctors, as Pedro pretty much woke up a few hours after surgery. The drugs temporarily impaired his mental capabilities, but it was enough that he had basic awareness and could communicate with people. The whole camp cheered after hearing the good news, everyone was happy knowing the whole ordeal ended with no tragedies.

The only ones who were a little bummed were the mechanics, as the helicopter was completely trashed, it will require extensive work to bring it back into service, but at the end of the day it saved their fellow friend's life so it was worth it. The cleaning crew made quick work of the wreckage littered all around the hangar's floor, impressing everyone. Then again, for the past few days no one had anything to do, so many birds were actually grateful, as this gave them something to do.

Rafael, Nico, Daniel, Denis and the rest of the ground team as well as the canary's expedition team was currently in the conference room, resting near a warm fireplace, drinking hot tea. After drying off they decided to not leave the warm until they were sure that no one would catch a cold. The last thing the group needs is multiple birds to get bed ridden with a cold in this situation, although it was a probability since they practically flew kilometers in a cold storm. The toucan was currently telling the expedition team what happened while they were away.

"Hold on. This this guy comes from some whacky universe where birds are fighting some overgrown lizards which are apparently ravaging the galaxy, enslaving everyone?" Nico asked, summing up most of the story Rafael told him in his own words. Not surprisingly he was skeptical, but the toucan expected as much.

"Yeah. I know it sounds dumb, I had to restrain myself from ordering him to be tied up to the bed due to being crazy, but unfortunately it is true. I'll show you the footage when he supposedly entered our world. He made quite a scene there, right out of an action movie." Rafael answered his question, observing the group's response. Turmoil was evident on all of their faces, since the story is quite unbelievable, but then again, they trusted Rafael, knowing he would not come up with these claims. Not to mention everyone on camp backed them up, no way this would be a prank either.

"That is terrifying, but somewhat cool though. How long is he planning on staying?" Andrew questioned, interested how long this mystery macaw will stay. He was rather uneasy hearing the possibility that they are in danger as long as this pilot is with them.

"Not sure. He said he needs whatever is in that container he dropped when the spacecraft crashed. That thing is supposed to have the module that has this whole universe hopping ability. But there is a slight problem." Rafael added, with a tone that made everyone uneasy in the conversation. Whatever he was about to say is not exactly good news.

"A few ships that were attacking him fled combat when the escorts were shot down. He said they were some sort of heavy transports and they can deploy a base if necessary." The conclusion drawn from the toucan's sentence was very clear for everyone. Nico muttered something, now fully drowned in fear.

"Y. You mean these aliens are in our solar system right now and made themselves home?" Rafael looked in his eyes and nodded his head silently. It suddenly all made sense to the canary. When they arrived, he spotted mounts on the top of multiple buildings which looked a lot like things made to hold guns or rocket launchers. They were flying too fast under the foliage to properly examine them, so he thought it was some sort of antenna that happened to look like a weapon.

"What are we going to do?" A male crane asked under his breath, visibly very uncomfortable. If what Rafael told is true then what chance do they have against real life aliens. The toucan knew he had to tell them the truth, but he was also aware that a bird who is in panic mode is no real use, and right now it was important for every bird to be fully functional if they are to get through this. It was a hard thing to do but Rafael had no other choice.

"Ripso spoke to us about the issue, that's why we used the fabricators to make these weapon mount points. These will have supposedly modern weapons that will be used 40 years in the future. His AI is allegedly creating a training program for us to learn and use these weapons if the worst comes. If that happens, these weapons will cut them in half like a hot knife cuts through butter." Rafael lied, at least partially. It was true they will make the weapons, but no one guaranteed they will work on the enemy as he said. It is very well possible they will simply get overrun due to the lack of experience and supplies.

"Why can't we just contact the army? Surely they can do something." Another crane asked, not getting why they should face this problem alone. Rafael was about to answer but Denis did first, who in turn joined in the conversation.

"Because no one will believe us. Just look at yourself. You can barely process the information. Just think about what would happen if the whole world realized it." The blue and yellow macaw explained. The group agreed and fell silent, everyone had enough on their plate to think about and process properly. A few moments later Rafael excused himself and invited Daniel to come with him.

"What's up?" The eagle asked curiously, not getting why Rafael wanted to speak to him in private. The toucan went closer to his ear to make sure nobody hears it. "They are shocked beyond what I think is productive. Plus, Pedro woke up and is doing fine. A lot of good news here. I have an idea what to do." Daniel had a puzzled look on his face, not really understanding what Rafael wanted, so he questioned him.

"Oh, and what is that idea?" Rafael left his personal space, rethinking his approach. After careful consideration he decided to speak in normal volume. "Let's throw a party!"

* * *

Medical wing

The three macaws who were present in the helicopter were sent to the medical wing for testing and examination. The doctors were worried that they could have sustained internal damage, since the crash looked really nasty. Jane was the first to go through the test series.

They took blood samples to identify possible infections, after that a routine physical inspection was done to check for any bruises or cuts which would require disinfecting. The process ended with an X-Ray scan to identify possible signs of internal bleeding or bone fracturing.

The trio got through the test in half an hour, and luckily the only injuries were minor cuts or bruises. With the adrenaline out of their systems, the pain became worse than it was originally, reminding them that a crash is still a crash no matter how you left the aircraft afterwards.

Blu suffered mostly bruises and a few cuts all together, although that lever pulling did dislocate his shoulder, which will hurt for a few days. Jane got away with a cut on both her talons, which made walking a bit harder than usual. Ripso got off with the exception of a large cut on his right wing, but it should heal in a few days if he doesn't put too much stress on it.

Once Jewel was sure everyone was alright, she excused herself to go talk with the cleanup crew in the hangar. Soon after the doctors and nurses left as well, giving the trio some peace so they can rest. Of course, none of them had anything of the sorts planned, so instead they got up and sat down on the beds. The blue macaws were not sure how to break it down but decided to just tell the whole story as it was.

Needless to say, the guys were dumbfounded by the female's reaction. The very first time she was skeptical like everyone else, but Jane was an open-minded bird, and after Ripso showed her multiple evidence she displayed a very different reaction than the others. While most birds were shocked, uneasy or down right horrified by the thought of an intergalactic alien race enslaving the galaxy, and said race is now practically stuck in their solar system, she showed genuine interest and was very excited to learn more.

"That is so fascinating! Tell me, how does FTL feel like? Did you see any iconic stars up close like Polaris, Vega or Sigma Octantis? The red giant Betelgeuse? How does a nebula look like if you are inside it? Could you really listen to 60's radio and television if you go out so many light years? How expensive is it to own a private space ship? Can you go to a casual trip in space like on Earth?" She bombarded the unsuspecting bird with questions like a minigun spits out bullets. He didn't even have time to properly understand them, so he could only vaguely answer. In all honesty he knew some people would be curious like this but this caught him off guard for some reason.

"Errr…" He stuttered while thinking about the answers to give. "Well, FTL feels like when you really speed up fast and then stop suddenly while you shrink in size. Unpleasant at first but you get used to it. I personally seen Sirius as we have a smaller refueling station there. Betelgeuse is off limits as it can explode any minute. Nebula looks beautiful inside. With special equipment, the signal lost intensity and has lots of noise. Not so horribly expensive but certainly a luxury. You can't really use it in war time so kind of pointless. Again, since its war time traveling is really limited so no, no space vacations." He responded with as much info as he could cram into the sentences, not knowing which topic the Lear's macaw was interested in most. She listened to the answers and for Ripso's sake decided to not throw more questions for now with the exception of one. "Wow. I guess our films and literature were not that far-fetched huh?"

"Not really. You guys got it quite right. The aliens versus birds things too, although we can agree it would have been better if those remained as sci-fi." Ripso commented, not really directing it towards anyone. Now that he thought about it, it was true. Twenty first century sci-fi was rather accurate about the future avian society took. He thought about what could happen if avianity beats the Shawax, would they rise to become a galaxy wide society or collapse and repeat history only between the stars.

"By the way, how intelligent is that AI in your head?" He directed his attention back at the female, not fully understanding the question. "Excuse me?"

"The AI. Is it self-aware, like HAL? Or just a very efficient computer?" Jane repeated the question, rephrasing it to be better understood. Ripso pondered for a bit, trying to come up with a satisfactory answer. He didn't really understand that much about AI's, so he decided to get help.

"Cassidy, I believe you could answer this better than I can." Jane was curious about the events that will unfold now. Seconds later a nearby wireless speaker made a few noises before a fully understandable female voice spoke from it, although it was a little bit robotic in nature.

" _Depends on the definition you want to use. I passed the Turing test two weeks after my creation, which is the most accurate way to measure self-awareness according to avian scientists. In that sense I am self-aware, yes. Am I alive or do I have feelings is another matter. Again, depends on what definition you use._ " The AI promptly answered the macaw's question. The fascination was clearly written all over her face.

"But why are you inside his head? Wouldn't it be convenient to be on some big supercomputer than a simple bird's head?" The Lear's macaw questioned, before realizing what she said. She quickly added. "No offense Ripso."

"None taken." The pilot replied. He decided to answer this one instead. "Avian pilots are good. We can hold up pretty well with Shawax forces, especially if you count in the fact they have been doing this for hundreds if not thousands of years."

"But we are not perfect. And sadly, most engagements ended up with far more casualties than we would like. A Viper can do almost anything you want it to do. The problem is pilots just can't be pushed above certain limits. We are too in the war to use genetically engineered birds. It is immoral not to mention the tech is not quite ready yet."

"We approached it differently. Positron computers are a type of quantum computer, a very powerful type. So the Alliance had the idea to create AI. So far there are twelve AI's in avian service, Cassidy was the tenth to be made. I'm currently in a 'clinical trial' if you will. She is here to help me with tasks as well as to boost my reflex time."

"AI's simply think and act faster than birds. If I get into a situation where neuron activity and responsiveness is too slow, she can take over and get me out of messy situations. She saved my life more than once already. The most recent being when she opened the hatch for Blu and Jewel so I wouldn't drown." He explained. This also caught the curiosity of Blu, who mostly stayed silent in the conversation, mentally resting. He was interested in computer science for a long time, so he was eager to hear more about this topic.

" _Yes. I have to babysit this man_ _all day. He can be really immature at times._ _E_ _ven went as far as to ask his mother for advice. He likes to get in trouble a lot._ " This caught the group completely off guard, it didn't take long for Blu and Jane to both burst out laughing. Meanwhile the pilot was not amused one bit.

"And she has a sassy personality, apparently she does have emotions when she wants to. You didn't have to be so excessive Cassidy." He spoke out to the AI, clearly annoyed by being the temporary laughing stock of the group. He let it go though, better to see people laughing than being sad. A few seconds later the laughing died down, and the previously lively room fell silent. Blu's expression changed in a way that made him look like he was zoned out. After waiting some time to see if he would come back or not, Ripso called out his name.

"Blu? Hello. You there?" The pilot waved his left wing in his peripheral vision, hoping to catch his attention. The idea worked, as he snapped back to reality instantly.

"Oh, sorry about that. I was just thinking about things." The blue macaw replied, shifting position on his bed.

"Want to talk about it?" Jane chimed in the conversation, curious about the blue macaw's thoughts.

"Ah, it's nothing important. Just random what if's and other stuff. Things about what to do in the future… Ripso, you said the Shawax is likely to make a camp somewhere in the system, right?"

"Yeah…" Ripso confirmed, his voice trailing off, not getting where the conversation is going.

"What do you think, will they try a direct assault against the planet?"

"Direct assault? No. Smaller insertions and gureilla warfare? Yes. They are not stupid. Funny thing is, this civilization could easily kick their ass if they decide to attack the planet. Like I said, their numbers are not enough. Most likely they will use the storm to blend in the environment and only assault us." Ripso answered the question, but the puzzled expression was still present on his face. Blu nodded a few times before speaking.

"I have a plan how we should proceed." He waited for a response from the pilot.

"Let's hear it". Ripso replied, interested in what plan the macaw came up with.

"Alright so, let's take a day off to recover from this operation. After that, we should activate one of the weight lifting helicopters. Those are better suited for stormy weather, but slower in general. We go to the ocean, raise your Raptor and that container, bring it back to base."

"Go on."

"We repair what we can with the replicators and hope that will be enough to make them work. Then we somehow deal with the Shawax. Not sure how yet." Blu finished, waiting for a response from Ripso. Meanwhile Jane spoke up.

"Well, they went to space. And you said that Raptor was a stealth craft. You could go to space, recon the system, find them and bomb the place in a surprise attack!" She exclaimed enthusiastically putting her wings together, forming knuckles. She thought about it again and added. "Actually, that would be a bold move, never mind."

"It is perfect!" Ripso commented, agreeing with the ideas presented. Blu and Jane spoke in union. "It is?"

"Yeah. Surely, we need to work out the details but it is one of the better plans I heard. I made some myself but these certainly triumph mine." The pilot explained his reasoning.

"We're going to have to check with Rafael and Jewel. Not to mention the whole group in the next conference." Blu warned, making sure no one gets their hopes up for no reason. The macaws nodded their heads in agreement.

"Should we join the others in the conference room?" Jane suggested, realizing they probably ran out of things to say, and none of them were tired enough to actually sleep.

"I don't see why not. Blu?" Ripso asked, calling out the other blue macaw in the room. He thought about it for a few seconds before responding.

"Sure thing. I don't like to lay around in a bed anyways." He replied, getting up from the bed he was sitting on moments before. Ripso used the opportunity to tease the expedition leader.

"Except when your wife is there eh?" It didn't take long for Blu's face to turn a shade of red, clearly visible even when his plumage was dark blue. Jane and Ripso had a quick laugh seeing the macaw's face, but for Blu's luck they turned around to walk towards the door, missing most of his facial expression. Both males observed that Jane could not really keep up with them.

"Need help Jane?" Ripso offered, walking next to the Lear's macaw, offering a wing as support. She gladly accepted the help, placing his wing around her in a way that allowed her to shift her weight on the blue macaw, turning walking into a much easier and less painful activity. "Thanks."

"I'll open and close the doors." Blu announced, walking in front of them to open the room's two doors. Once they moved through it, he gently closed them, careful not to disturb anyone, since there could be birds in the neighboring rooms. The trio walked down the hall relatively fast but didn't encounter any birds while doing so.

Once they got near the conference room, the background noise changed from the rain drops hitting the wall to birds chattering. Clearly everyone finished their jobs and are probably relaxing in the conference room. When they arrived at the entrance, Blu carefully opened up the doors, letting the two macaws go through. He went inside after them but didn't touch the doors since these closed automatically. The attention of every bird shifted towards them instantly.

"The heroes of the day have arrived!" Someone shouted from the crowd, getting a response in the form of massive cheering and clapping. Blu didn't really get the point, he and Jane were only doing their job, doing what was the right thing. The same probably goes to Ripso, but he decided to just play along with it, everyone was in a happy mood, no need to ruin it.

"What's with all the drinks there? I didn't even know we had the things to make a bar like that!" Blu said sarcastically, just spotting a bar that was put together by using tables and chairs. The Do It Yourself style had a strange but interesting feel to it. Rafael came up to them from the crowd who now have shifted their attention back towards each other.

"Well, we heard Pedro woke up and is recovering, you three got off with minimal injuries, the hangar is spotless once again, I thought we should celebrate this. Birds could use the time off." He explained his reasoning, earning an approving nod from Blu. "That is true. The speakers are up, planning on playing music too?"

"Later tonight yes. Although we have no idea what to play. Nico can't really perform with Pedro recovering, plus his team is still shocked about the whole alien thing. Another point of this is to hopefully calm them down as much as we can." The toucan answered, but looked towards the far end of the room, where some technicians had problems with the wiring.

"Excuse me, I need to see what's going on over there". Rafael excused himself, leaving the group to see what the problem was. The three macaws were left alone in the middle of the crowd, not really sure what to do next.


	10. Getting to know the people Part 2

**Chapter 9**

Getting to know the people Part 2

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

After Rafael left the three macaws on their own, they didn't really know what to do. There were at least thirty to forty birds in the room, but all of them seemed to be engaged in a conversation with one another. The crowd knew very well that while Blu was a very intellectual bird who certainly proved himself worthy of leading an expedition, he was not exactly the most social bird, so they decided to not bombard him unless he initiated.

"It is quite lively here, isn't it?" Ripso commented, observing the flock of birds who were either drinking or talking to one another. While this was not alien to him, he didn't get many of these back at home. War time didn't allow for long periods of rest between deployments.

"Yeah. Well I truly believe they earned it. We had been working really hard the past few months." Blu spoke, agreeing with the blue macaw's observation. He too started to relax, knowing that everyone is practically safe from any harm for the moment. He wasn't the party type but this sort of relaxation will probably do good for him too.

"Hey! You two want to get a drink?" Jane semi shouted towards the Spix macaws, who didn't even notice that she left them. They turned their heads towards the source of the sound, only to find the Lear's macaw sitting at the bar table, waving at them. Ripso looked at Blu, as if asking for permission.

"Don't look at me, you are free to go, this is a party after all. Do what you want. I need to find Jewel so I cannot join you." The macaw looked at him with a confused look.

"You sure?" The pilot asked, but it was very clear it was just a bad attempt at trying to dodge social interaction. A move that was all too known to Blu. But he decided that Ripso did enough and should absolutely have some rest.

"No. You are not going to do anything tonight that is duty orientated. That's an order. You are dismissed." The blue macaw tried to speak with a very authoritative voice, which was not exactly something he was too familiar with as it was not his style, but it seems to have worked. Ripso nodded once and stepped aside, walking towards the bar. Blu turned around and headed towards the exit, attempting to find his wife.

Meanwhile Jane was observing the scene from about ten meters, drinking a cocktail of some kind. She couldn't hear or understand them, but they appeared to have made a small conversation after she yelled at them. Blu turned around and went towards the opposite direction, while Ripso joined her at the table.

"Blu went to find his wife for something." The macaw told Jane, grabbing the chair next to her and sitting on it, looking at the bartender, waiting for his turn. A second later the male scarlet macaw turned towards the duo, waiting for an order.

"The strongest stuff you got." Ripso ordered, followed by Jane. "The usual, please."

The bird nodded his head, turning around to prepare their drinks. Ripso's expression changed to a sadder, much darker one, not even looking at anyone just the table in front of him. Jane noticed it pretty quickly.

"Hey, what's wrong? You were so cheerful a minute ago!" The Lear's macaw questioned, curious about the sudden change of mood. The pilot took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts.

"This just _feels_ wrong. My whole unit is still on deployment, who knows, maybe having a fight somewhere right now. Depending on the Alliance, if they know what happened then I'm labeled as missing in action or killed in action."

"In the latter case my friends and probably whole airwing already buried me, and I'll be another name on the Fallen Heroes monument back on Earth. Which means people I hold dear are emotionally hurt. And here I am drinking alcohol and supposed to have fun when they are grieving." He vented, still not looking up, his expression otherwise unreadable. Jane didn't really know what to say to this. She did note however that Ripso clearly had mood swings, which may very well indicate psychological problems. Most likely PTSD or some other type of trauma.

"It is not your fault. It is probably your Alliance's fault for not securing that device properly. If anything, you are a victim here." She commented, trying to be supportive for the macaw. His body twitched slightly, indicating whatever she said must have had some sort of effect. She decided to continue.

"You crash landed in water. Healed up in a day and immediately got into action, helping us save a member who would have very likely died if we didn't get back in time. It is a hurricane outside, so even if you wanted to you couldn't work right now." She added, attempting to reason with the pilot. This seemed to work as he finally looked up, looking at her in return. His facial expression still unreadable though.

"Most of the stuff we will do in the following days will need a lot of your time and expertise, so it would be wise to let go a little. You are not useful if you are tired. Regardless how used to it you are from being in the military. Technically, you are _not_ in the military right now."

"If our society and its values survived the attack as you mentioned, I'm one hundred percent sure that everyone you know would understand the situation if they knew about it. And would probably want you to relax while you can." Ripso looked away for a moment, thinking about what Jane just said. He realized that she is right, he will be of little use if he was a wreck. "Yeah. You're probably right." He responded, agreeing with the female.

The bartender finally returned with their drinks, serving them at the same time. "Have fun!" He said, before turning away to serve other customers. The macaws picked up their glass and clinked them together.

"Cheers!" They both said in union before letting the alcohol filled drink slide down their throats.

* * *

With Blu

Blu looked around the entire camp, but simply could not find his wife anywhere. He first tried to find her in the hangar, since that was the last place he knew she definitely stayed. After having no luck there, he looked inside storage, the kitchen and even went to the communication tower room but found it empty. There was only one logical place where she could be, but the medical wing was in the same direction and he decided to visit Pedro.

The macaw entered the medical wing and searched the rooms one by one, as he didn't know the room number where his friend was located. After looking around for a while he found the room he was looking for and peeked through the glass. Pedro laid on the bed, breathing in and out peacefully, while reading some sort of book. He was still hooked up to an IV and multiple equipment was monitoring every vital sign known to bird.

After shifting his gaze to the side, he spotted a male flamingo dressed in conventional medical clothes. He decided to knock on the door, grabbing the bird's attention. Once he looked up and saw Blu, he immediately got up and moved towards the door, opening it as silently as he could.

"Blu. Nice to see you are in a good enough shape to move around. You came to check on Pedro?" The flamingo asked, moving to the side to let the Spix macaw inside. Blu walked inside, directing his sights on the cardinal once again.

"Thanks, and yes, I was looking for Jewel but since this is close I decided to check up on him." Blu explained, closing the door which the cardinal noticed after moving his eyes from the book he was busy reading.

"Blu! Nice to see you come by." He greeted the blue macaw, happy to see a visitor. The doctors told him about the whole rescue mission but made sure to keep every information about the future pilot as vague as possible until he is fully healed.

"Pedro. You got us all worried there. You owe me a helicopter you know." Blu joked, walking next to the cardinal's bed. "How you feeling?"

"When I first woke up it felt like a train hit me. Guess it was not that far off from the truth. But I'm fine now, even though I'm a bit slower thinker now than usual… Heard Rafael is planning a party."

"Sorry pal. We'd bring you if we could. But knowing you're OK is great, we had to do something." Blu wanted to apologize but got halted by the cardinal before he could finish. "Nah, don't sweat it. I'm too tired anyways. Have fun and relax!" The blue macaw smiled, happy Pedro understood.

"Thanks buddy. I'll leave you be for now. We need you back soon so get all the rest you need." He said his goodbye and wanted to walk towards the door before he remembered they were not alone in the room.

"How long is your shift?" He questioned, turning around to face the doctor. The doctor looked up from the papers, raising an eyebrow at the question.

"How long? All night." He replied blankly, putting the paper back, to focus his attention fully on the Spix macaw. Blu was surprised by the answer, so he decided to question it further. "But don't you want to relax with the others?"

"The two serious cases since the expedition started was only when that Ripso guy ended up here and now Pedro. Let's be honest none of the medical professionals had a lot to do. I volunteered to stay for the shift, looking after the patient while the others have some much-earned rest. Plus, shifting wouldn't really work unless you want a drunk doctor to look after Pedro." The flamingo reasoned, earning a nod from Blu. The macaw walked up to the door and opened it up to leave. "Thanks. You'll get a day off once this is done then."

The two birds said goodbye and Blu closed the door, satisfied by the care his friend is receiving. He continued down the hall, leaving the medical wing and arriving shortly after in front of his bedroom. He knocked on the door twice but got no response other than silence. He knocked once again but got the same result.

Blu decided to open up, and not surprisingly the room was pitch black. After his eyes adjusted to the darker environment he scanned the room again but found no trace of anyone. The bathroom was closed, meaning no one was inside there either. The macaw shrugged and closed the door, a little bit disappointed.

He turned around and walked all the way towards the end of the hallway. After turning a left corner towards the conference hall, he saw a single bird about twelve meters in front of him. It was none other than Jewel, who was glued to her phone, looking like if she was searching for something. It must have been important because she did not even acknowledge his presence.

Once she passed him, Blu turned around and followed her. He grabbed his own phone and decided to check his messaging app. Indeed, Jewel was looking for him, asking people if they saw him or not. Some of the responses were fairly accurate while others were straight out weird. He typed in the chat room himself.

 _Looking for me?_

 _Yes! Where are u?_

 _Look behind you._

Jewel turned around and came face to face with her husband. "Where were you?! How long have you been following me?" She asked, not getting how Blu could have sneaked up behind her so easily. He chuckled, showing the phone in his hand, using his other wing to point towards it.

"You were too focused on the phone to see me. I was coming from the opposite direction." Hearing the explanation Jewel became a little embarrassed making such a mistake. The irony part was she was the one who enforced the strict no phone during work policy. "Alright, you got me. But what were you doing there anyway?"

"I was looking for you. I thought you would be at the hangar but that was empty. I looked around until I ended up at our bedroom but that was empty too. I guess we just avoided each other." Blu explained, earning a small nod from Jewel. He shortly added.

"Well… I wanted to find you to ask if you want to come to the conference room? Rafael organized a neat little party after our successful rescue mission. Jane and Ripso are already there. Last I heard Rafael and Daniel are looking for a way to set up some music." The female macaw almost jumped at excitement hearing the question.

"Of course Blu! Silly, what made you think I wouldn't want to go? You ready?" Blu didn't see her this excited in a long time, and instantly forgot anything that he might have wanted to do. He extended a wing which Jewel gladly took as a sign of conformation. To be on the safe side he answered the question verbally.

"For you, I'm always ready. Let's go." The blue macaws walked down the halls and corridors, closing in to the conference room. Soon enough the stormy background noise which they got so used to that it was practically undetectable slowly faded away, giving room for the much more pleasant sound of music, although it was muffled.

"Looks like they figured it out. Sounds like it's not live music but that's not a big deal." Blu commented, starting to see lights randomly flashing on the wall opposite to the conference room's door. It appeared the spotlights were reconfigured to do light shows. Rafael was certainly not joking about the party part. The pair arrived at the door, now being able to see inside the room, which now looked like a typical night club.

The moment Blu opened up the door, the previously muffled music turned into crystal clear melody, temporally deafening the macaws until their ears got used to it. He stepped to the side, allowing her wife to go in first. She smiled at the gentleman gesture, taking the lead and stepping inside.

Blu swiftly followed her, now fully enveloped by the mood of the party. The music's rhythm stimulating parts of his brain that were now in a constant battle with the conscious mind to just burst out dancing. This phenomenon was a well-known and documented across several bird species originally native to South America. It was largely a part why everyone considered South American birds to be the 'kings' of music and dance. After combating their urges, the macaws calmed down and went deeper into the crowd.

The couple bumped into Denis who was talking to a female scarlet macaw. The female stopped speaking to greet them. "Hey guys. What is up?"

"Hi Jasmine, Denis. We just got here, nothing interesting yet. How is the party going so far?" Blu replied and asked the duo, hoping for some feedback and possibly learning of something that happened in that relatively short amount of time they were not here.

"At first it started really slow, lots of people were unsure if we should really do this. But let me tell you Daniel knows how to pick music." Denis answered his question, making sure to erase the concerns the blue macaw might have. The scarlet macaw felt her talons were empty, so she excused herself. "Sorry, I'll go grab a drink. Be right back!"

The group nodded and let her go, but Blu was still curious about the blue and yellow macaw as his past was not really well known. He was working for the firm the expedition hired to provide the security, and according to them he was one of their best operatives, right after Daniel. That was certainly a great feat, outclassing eagles as a macaw is nothing to be ashamed of.

"I never really got a chance to ask this, but what made you consider to become a security officer?" The blue macaw asked, legitimately curious about the answer. Denis didn't even think too much about the question before answering. "Simple. I like guns. Security pays good, I get to shoot guns at bad guys. Was not a tough decision to make at all."

"Never would have thought that. You don't seem like a gun fanatic, you are always calm. Then again maybe that's just an American stereotype I was picturing of gun owners." Jewel exclaimed, surprised by the reason. The blue and yellow macaw chucked at the thought, but not too surprised at the reaction.

"I was surrounded by guns my entire life. My dad was ex-military, we had like fifteen assault rifles home. Learned to aim and shoot when I was five. I won shooting range tournaments when I was ten. Tell me any kind of gun's name, I shot with it." He listed his achievements proudly, taking pride in his expertise. "Dad always told me the importance of self defense. The one day he didn't bring one with him, he got shot dead in front of our house by a burglar. I swore to never make that mistake myself."

"My condolences. That is horrible." Jewel replied, thinking about what the macaw might have gone through. Instead he almost snorted, raising both blue macaw's 'eyebrows' at the strange reaction. "Nah. He was kind of an asshole, typical narcissist. Always bossed my mother, siblings and me. He had it coming. Still, I don't intend to end up like him anytime soon."

"OK, that is one way to look at it I guess. Any plans what to do after this whole thing is over?" Blu questioned, attempting to hopefully shift the conversation to a more pleasant direction. Thankfully it worked, because Denis nodded his head.

"Yeah. Going to buy myself a flat somewhere in the capital. I realized with my pristine record, I could apply to become a Sentinel. That would be a dream job… But I'm quite thirsty myself, going to get something to drink. I wonder where Jasmine went. See you guys later!" The blue and yellow macaw explained his future plans but also excused himself. The three macaws said their goodbyes and parted ways. The blue macaw pair wandered deeper into the crowd, looking for their next set of birds to speak to.

It didn't take long until Blu managed to spot Rafael talking with Daniel near the DJ table. He gently nudged Jewel to grab her attention, pointing a wing towards their direction. Jewel nodded her head, as the music and crowd's volume made understanding speech a hard thing unless the people were literally centimeters from each other. The couple snaked between birds in a zigzag pattern until they finally reached their friends.

"Hey Jewel, Blu. Glad to see you could make it." The Harpy eagle greeted the Spix macaws, who finally got close enough to understand each other.

"Hi Daniel. I see you guys got the music to work properly." Jewel pointed out, looking around to find the speakers in the room which blasted music in all directions.

"Yeah. I put together some fancy music playlists while Rafael got the cable management under control. If we can't have live music at least we can enjoy some classical and modern tunes." Daniel answered, placing most of the accomplishments on the toucan who was too humble to accept it.

"Nah. I just helped out the audio guys, they did most of the work. The sound system almost fried the whole electrical grid because there was a short-circuited board in one of the audio controllers. We replaced it and now it works wonderfully." Rafael explained, before changing topic and directing the conversation towards the Spix macaws. "How are you feeling Blu?"

"Good. Still a little sore but not much I can complain about."

"A few shots of vodka or a fine bottle of wine will take care of that for you." Daniel commented, attempting to invite the macaw for some drinking. He became a little nervous hearing what the eagle had to say. "Heh. I don't think Jewel would like that." Blu said, earning a look from his wife.

"You can drink, just don't end up wasted like you did three months ago." Jewel said, with a half smug, half grin on her face remembering the event in question. Blu became almost offended, trying to come up with something to say but Rafael stepped in.

"Come on Jewel, that was not fully his fault. He was my wing man on the wedding after all. And you know my father, he will not stop until everyone has some alcohol in their system in a wedding where he is present. Plus I think both me and Eva supported it a little more than we should have." The toucan defended the macaw, tying to shift the blame partially on himself.

"Ah, just kidding. I got tipsy too so no worries. Besides, we had one of the most hilarious conversations that night. I just want him to be functional tomorrow. Anyways, speaking about Eva, what do you know about her right now?" Jewel asked, interested about what her friend is up to as well as how is she holding up. Jewel knows very well how hard distant relationships can be.

"I spoke to her before the storm hit. She didn't take it too well but I managed to calm her down. I told her we go back as soon as the hurricane is over, but you can't really blame her for being worried. This storm is no joke." Rafael answered, thinking about his wife back in Rio, which is just outside the hurricane's reach, meaning she is safe from harm.

"Did you two manage to buy that apartment near the beach she was dreaming about?" Blu questioned, remembering something Rafael spoke about a few weeks prior. The toucan was delighted to answer the macaw's question. "Yes, we got most of the money but had to get a loan to pay off the last bit and to afford the necessary renovations. But once we get through this we should be golden for a long time."

"Have the prices normalized since the last time I looked at them?" Daniel joined in the conversation, finally got to a topic where he could properly engage in. Rafael nodded his head in conformation. "Yes they have. In fact, we waited out the price drops until we bought our apartment. Unless this storm does damage to Rio I believe houses should be affordable by the time we get back home. That reminds me, Blu, Jewel, what about your house plans?"

"Oh, well we are not too sure yet. We thought about moving up to my parents for a few weeks in December for a little winter vacation. After that we are going to come back to Rio and find a place to build the house. Probably near the jungle that has a direct view to the sea." Blu replied, getting an instant comment from Jewel in the process.

"A location like that is going to be terribly expensive honey." The male acknowledged the comment and agreed with it. "It will be. But if this job won't be enough to pay for it then nothing will." Blu humorously said, resulting in a laugh from the whole group. Once the laughing died off, the macaw continued his questioning. "What will you do after this is done?"

"First off I'm going to find the smart guy who thought it was a great idea to leave us here in this and have a little _chat_." The toucan explained, placing a noticeable tone on the chat word, disguising the true intent behind it, but it was not too hard to figure out what he might have thought. "Then I'm probably going to speak with Nico and Pedro and open up that samba club they wanted to do for a long time now." Both blue macaws were surprised by the news that Rafael just told them.

"Club? They are serious about that?" Jewel asked surprised, thinking they were only joking about it. Then again, unlike most birds here they didn't really give an answer to what will they do with the money. She reasoned the funds of both birds would be more than enough to start multiple clubs even in downtown Rio. She is going to have to question Nico about that if he will not be too shaken up.

"Of course they are. You two know how well they sing, they will blast in the music industry in no time." Rafael reasoned with the macaws, earning a nod from both of them. There has been a pretty big gap in the industry for the past few years. Making Brazilian music more popular in the world would boost bird's opinion of Brazil, which might help more countries to side with it regarding the importance of fossil fuels and pollution. And who doesn't like samba?

"True, well in that case if you need any help with the logistics don't be afraid to call me up. I'm glad to help." Blu offered his help which the Toucan gladly accepted. "Thanks amigo, I'll be sure to call you if I need something." He reassured the macaw. Jewel noticed the harpy eagle was rather silent, which was not that surprising, after all unlike Rafael neither she or Blu knew him before the expedition.

"Daniel, how are things between you and Sarah? You don't really speak about her or anything really." The eagle blushed slightly, putting a wing behind his head, looking around, avoiding eye contact while he collected his thoughts about the matter. Jewel's sudden interest in his life was not something he was that prepared for.

"Well uh… Things are good. I think the relationship between us is serious but she still has to finish her doctorate, so we are going slow. But this whole expedition and communication cut off is a little bit unfortunate, I'm not too sure how things are right now." Daniel admitted, the whole expedition known each other pretty well, but he never really elaborated a lot on his personal life. The group understood and decided to not question the topic further.

"And what about your personal plans? What will you do after this is over?" Blu asked next, interested in the response, hoping he will stay with them. Daniel was an excellent security officer, an asset that is useful in any expedition. The eagle didn't really think much before answering the question as straight forward as he could. "I like working for the Security department, would not trade it for anything. I will stay, so if you decide to do another expedition I'm in. Besides, this whole Ripso thing is a once in a lifetime experience."

"Great to know. If there will be another job I'll definitely be contacting you." Blu stated, happy to know he can rely on the eagle for further work. Now with that over, Jewel quickly looked around the crowd, trying to find somebody but failed to do so. "Does any one of you know where Nico is?"

"He should be somewhere near the bar, I told him to get some drinks. Poor guy didn't really take the alien thing too well, hopefully the alcohol can help him deal with it. I told the others to watch out and don't let him get too drunk though." Rafael answered Jewel's question, pointing towards the bar which happened to be close to them. The macaws quickly searched through the space, looking at every bird they could see. They soon distinguished a small yellow patch that turned out to be the bird they were searching for.

"Ok, we'll go check up on him. Have fun!" Blu stated, waving towards his two friends. Rafael and Daniel waved back, after which they turned their attention to other places.


	11. Getting to know the people Part 3

**Chapter 10**

Getting to know the people Part 3

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Blu and Jewel made their way through the crowd, keeping the yellow canary in their sight, making sure he won't fly away while they try to get to him. That outcome was not likely, as Nico was talking with the pelican known as Andrew, who was a part of his team. Andrew caught a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye, after which he directed his eyes towards the blue macaws, waving at them.

The couple waved back, confirming that they intended to join them in their conversation. The pelican moved his body over to give them enough space to form a closed circle. By this time Nico noticed the macaws as well but decided to wait until they get there before greeting as he didn't want to shout. He was a bit sloppy though, as Blu took the initiative once they got within clear hearing range. "Hey Nico, hey Andrew."

"Hey." Both birds greeted the macaws in union upon hearing Blu's voice.

"How is the party?" Jewel asked, observing the reactions from the birds. By the looks of it, Andrew was pretty OK, while Nico still had a mild shock on his face, but it looked like the drink started to loosen him up. The pelican took the lead in responding, expressing his opinion about the party.

"It is great! A chance to really let ourselves go. These past few months were difficult. Not to mention Pedro, he really got us all worried there. And this whole alien thing hit a little too hard. But to be honest, I'm kind of fine with it. At least there will be some excitement." Andrew explained his line of thoughts, after which he took another sip from his drink. Blu chuckled at the response, warning the pelican about his priorities.

"It is nice to know you feel this way, but let's not make assumptions just yet. We didn't even begin what Ripso told us we need to do." The macaw pointed out the facts. Andrew nodded his head in acknowledgement, upon confirming this Blu turned towards the canary, who remained silent until now. "Nico? How you feeling?"

"Ugh, great… I think. Just starting to think through the news and stuff. Cool party by the way. Sorry for not being able to do a live performance, without Pedro it's just not the same you know?... OH! How is Pedro?" It didn't surprise neither macaw that the canary would instantly ask about his best friend. Although he is by no means in a good condition, the fact that he is being cared after should hopefully be enough to calm the already overly stressed bird.

"Doing good. Doctors treated him and woke up a few hours ago. He is resting at the moment." Blu exclaimed, watching the yellow canary's mood changing to a much happier one.

"That reminds me. What about your new song? How is that coming along Nico?" Andrew curiously asked the canary, remembering he mentioned a song he and Pedro was working on for a few months now. The blue macaws remembered it and they had curious looks too. Nico was happy to answer the question.

"We got most of the rhythm and lyrics done. Just need a few more lines and we are golden. You guys will see, it is going to be a blast." The canary reassured the group, proud about his progress with their new song. Now that they were practically out of business for who knows how long, they will have a lot of time to work on their musical career.

Ever since they were chicks, the canary and cardinal were close friends, who both had a passion for music. Due to political and economic problems, the music industry was not enough to provide income to sustain life, so the duo decided to get into the field of ecology, leaving music and dancing as a hobby that they can one day hopefully perfect and achieve their dreams.

"I'm happy to hear that! Don't forget to get us VIP tickets to the concerts and tours when you two hit the big stages." Jewel joked, lightening the mood even more than it was before. Nico laughed at the joke but considered it to actually be a possibility.

"Oh, don't worry Jewel, all of you guys will get the best places… Hey, actually. I heard you sing a few times Jewel, your voice would be an excellent addition to our song!" The canary stated, which surprised the female macaw, while she was not shy like Blu, she didn't prefer to be in the center of attention in such a level like Nico and Pedro.

"Ah. I'm not really that good, my voice is just not up for singing. Sometimes a tune gets stuck in my head that's all." She sheepishly replied but was met with opposition from her love. "Nonsense dear. Your voice is beautiful. If Nico says you'd be perfect he means it. You know he has great hearing for vocals." Blu reassured her, giving Jewel that little boost she needed. He was really curious what role Nico though for her, of course in his head Jewel's voice was perfection itself.

"All right. I'll try it when you two are done with the song." Blu and Nico did a slightly childish high five hearing Jewel's decision, making her chuckle. _Boys will be boys._ She thought to herself, amused at the sight in front of her. Seeing that both birds are alright and relaxing, she decided it is time for them to move on. "It was nice talking to you two. Happy to see you guys are doing all right. But if you will excuse us, Blu and I should move along now." She excused herself, managing to bring Blu along with her.

"Thanks, and no problem. You two lovebirds have fun now, ya catch me?" Andrew thanked them in the name of Nico too, bidding farewell to the two Spix macaws.

Once the couple left Nico and Andrew, they quickly looked around to find the final set of birds they wanted to talk to. Blu recalled his last exchange with Ripso and remembered where he left him before he went to find Jewel. The blue macaws steered towards the other end of the bar, fully expecting both birds to be somewhere else by now but thought it was worth a try.

Turns out both macaws stayed at the very same spot the blue macaw left them. Jane and Ripso were sitting next to each other at the bar table, seemingly busy in a conversation between one another. Ripso was currently explaining something to the Lear's macaw. Jane periodically spoke for short sentences, probably questions, indicating she was actively following along. They were so involved in the exchange that neither bird realized the Spix macaws walked over to them.

"We thought no one will notice it. That painting on the landing deck was a piece of art. Except there was one small problem. Remember that I mentioned the retrofit that was going on?" Jane nodded her head, sipping from her drink in the process.

"Yeah, turns out the camera system was changed _weeks_ before… Didn't take long for the CAG to get on deck. She was not happy _at all_. Needless to say, Striker, Hash and I got to know the landing bay up close and personal for the next month to come." Ripso explained, after which he grabbed his glass and drank what was left of his drink in one go. It didn't take Jane long to simply burst out laughing, needing to hold onto something to make sure she won't fall off the chair, which happened to be the bar table.

"Hahaha! W-wait a moment please." She managed to say, stuttering along the way while she tried to control her laughter. After regaining her composure, the laughing managed to calm down to giggles. "You three didn't think a billion-dollar warship in space will have an active security camera network while drydocked?"

"Hey… We were cadets back then. Thought we owned and was immune to everything. Rookie's innocents still applied to us back then." The Spix macaw defended himself, trying to sugarcoat his young self's mistake. It was at this point he looked away from Jane, primarily to find the bartender and to get himself another drink. He noticed the two macaws coming towards them, who turned out to be Blu and Jewel. He moved his head a bit to the right to make sure it really was them. The Lear's macaw saw his head's movement and turned around to check what was he looking at.

"Finally, you guys show up. Ripso and I have been waiting for you two for a good fifteen minutes now." She commented the moment she realized who the two macaws were. They just smiled as a reply, sitting next to the duo at the table. Jewel looked towards the bartender, waiting for him to get to them. Blu answered in return.

"Sorry Jane, we just had to catch up with a few people. And we checked on Nico just to be sure." Blu apologized for making them wait so long but judging from their mood they were not mad at all. He figured her comment was probably sarcasm in that case.

"How is Nico and Andrew holding up?" Jane asked Blu, curious about the yellow canary and the pelican. Blu just shrugged off the answer, not really giving it much thought. From what he could see from the conversation they had a few minutes ago both birds were going to be OK. "They will be fine, just needs a little time off that's all." The macaw replied to the question. Meanwhile Jewel got the attention of the bartender, who signaled her he will be with them shortly.

"How about you two? Seemed like there was an interesting topic before we got here." Jewel directed her attention at Jane and Ripso, hoping they might elaborate on what were they discussing. The blue macaw glanced towards the table, spotting the multiple empty glasses. "And I see both of you got a head start with the drinks." She added, pointing out the empty alcohol glasses, her voice having trace amounts of envy and tease.

"Well, people said it was a _party_ after all. Every party is better if you are tipsy!" Jane exclaimed, moving the empty glass to the side with the others to make space for the future drinks she might or might not order. Once she was done rearranging the glasses, she continued. "Ripso was just telling me about future avian society that's all, but not in the boring way. Before you two got here, he told me stories about when he was still a cadet."

"Dang it, we wanted to hear those stories too." Blu admitted, slightly disappointed about the fact they probably missed stories which were worth gold at this point. Ripso finally spoke up, attempting to cheer up the expedition leader. "Don't worry Blu, the night is still young. I can retell them later if you two really want to hear them. Lots of stupid stuff there though." The pilot warned the blue macaws, who didn't seem to care much about the warning, and immediately agreed for the stories to be retold later.

"I just remembered, is it OK for you to drink alcohol Jane? With your leg and all." Jewel questioned the Lear's macaw, remembering she had difficulties walking after the crash landing. She looked at her with a dismissive look while taking a sip from her drink. "It is OK Jewel, really. Unless I get totally hammered, I'll be fine."

"But alcohol is known to inhibit the immune system as well as the body's ability to naturally heal injuries while it is inside our system no?" Blu chimed in, trying to understand Jane's reasoning behind her choice. She started to look really annoyed and shot a quick glare at the blue macaw, causing him to hold his breath. "I know. It is not serious enough to prohibit moderate alcohol consumption." Blu decided not to question further, and instead directed his attention towards the pilot.

"Hey Ripso, since we actually have some free time now. Can I ask about personal things? So we can get to know you better. Unless that invades your privacy of course. If you want we can start ourselves." The blue macaw nodded his head calmly, agreeing with Blu's proposal.

"Sure thing Blu. Although I've been pretty much in the center of attention this whole time. I think it is fair that is should be your turn now. First off, you never really specified what this whole expedition was about." The pilot started by asking their purpose, as that was never really cleared when they discussed anything. Blu understood the question's reason and thought he might as well tell him whatever he wants to know. After all, it's not like he will tell a foreign country any secrets, with the whole world unified and such.

"Well, as you probably know, right now our primary source of energy is fossil fuels. Electric transportation exists, but the transition is too slow. But we may have found something that can revolutionize our society. A new element which is labeled as TI44." The blue macaw explained, thankfully he did not have to go too in dept about the topic since this was basically history for the pilot. Ripso knew the term will come up in the future, so he decided to reveal the name to the group. "Tylium." He corrected, confusing Blu for a moment.

"Tylium? What is that again?" The pilot took a small sip from his drink, collecting his thoughts in the meantime. "What you label as TI44 will be dubbed Tylium in the future. As I said earlier, that stuff is almost like a magic element." He elaborated further, allowing the others to piece the parts together and understand. Blu recollected himself quickly, as he still had explaining to do.

"Oh. I remember now. That's great news then! But anyways, back to my explanation. My father was part of a chemist team who accidentally discovered it. They were the ones who originally worked on it until it's close. After a series of failed tests, the US government stopped the research."

"After that, they continued their tests from crowd funding for a decade at least. I was born a little bit before the project was picked up by the Brazilian government. He retired early about five years ago due to health problems."

"Even though I always exceeded in science, I wanted to become a pilot. Even got through basic flight training. But while I could manage it, I was far from being the best. So it became something of a very expensive hobby."

"When my father was still working, I got involved at a young age with his work, being curious and all. After his retirement, and my failed pilot career, I decided to take on his field and enrolled in university as a chemical engineer. Eventually, I ended up here. We are supposed to find and bring back a bigger sample so my father's colleagues can proceed with their research and hopefully finish it." Blu shared his origin story, which Ripso followed very carefully. For him, this was basically watching history unfold itself in some sense. By now, he was curious what role Blu might take on later in his life. He will have to check that out once he and CASSIDY get back to their original reality.

"Wow, that is dedication right there. But I don't get something. If the Brazilian government funded the research later on, how come you were American? At least that is what I would guess judging by your accent." The pilot commented on his accent, followed by a simple nod from the expedition leader.

"Well, my mother and I stayed back in the US, so I grew up there. It was hard, because he spent most of his time in Brazil. But to be honest, it just made our bonding that much better when he was actually home. I remember watching a documentary about our pollution and what it is doing to our planet, and I got really sad."

"I don't know why, but I just got this overwhelming feeling of determination to do something about it. So the next time my dad came back, I showed interest in his work and started to help him with more and more complicated tasks. By the end, I was basically his assistant at home. It was only a matter of time until I could finally join them and take his place finishing the first part of the research." Blu finished, clearing up any questions the pilot might have. Now knowing the history, he turned towards Jewel, who figured it was her turn.

"I'm afraid my story is not all that fascinating as Blu's. Unlike him, I was born and raised in Brazil, my family are higher class citizens. My father is an athlete while my mother is a secretary at a traveling agency."

"I'm pretty good at managing people which I probably got from my mom. Dad is much more reserved when it comes to birds but has a great sense of direction. He is actually a professional stuntman. I decided to follow my mother's career and turned out a financial manager. And trust me, this bird right here needs the help with money." She indicated her husband with a wingtip, causing him to shot a small glare towards her. Although he would never admit it, he did have a tendency to spend more on equipment than what his budget allows.

"But I also made my father proud in a way. Up until I was 12 years old I was doing air stunting as a sport. Got more than a dozen shiny medals at home to boast about that." Jewel proudly stated her early life achievements.

"When I finished high school I wanted to start working right away, but my parents forbid it and talked me into going to university with them financing me. Now people say I'm a really independent bird which I guess is true since I was really against it."

"Keep in mind back then the country was going through a smaller economic crisis so while we were nowhere near poor we weren't that rich either. I wanted to hold up my own weight and attend a higher education from my own pockets but boy was I glad my parents talked me out of it. My mother had to do it that way and said she was not going to let that happen to me."

"So I left the country to attend a prestigious university. A university that another bird attended called Tyler Blu Gunderson." She hinted towards Blu, giving the pilot an idea how they met.

"We became friends pretty fast and he helped me finish my degree and also helped me get a scholarship so I didn't have to depend on my parents so much. Things progressed between us and we became a couple shortly before finishing university."

"That's when Blu got seriously into TI44... Tylium research." She corrected herself. "And the Brazilian government needed an expedition in the Amazon. He got his father to recommend us, and since our field of expertise completed each other, we decided to go for it. And now we are here." Ripso just nodded, the explanation was sufficient enough for him. Since he didn't have further questions, he thanked her and turned towards Jane. The Lear's macaw though for a moment, pondering how should she begin.

"My great grandparents emigrated to Canada from Brazil, so I think it is safe to say while I'm part Brazilian I probably have more Canadian blood flowing through my veins by now. I grew up in Vancouver with my parents, a younger sister and an older brother."

"I also had two other girls from school and the three of us were inseparable all throughout our childhoods. They were Anna, who was also Canadian, and Emily who came from the US. Sadly, Emily only stayed with us for about five years before her parents found a much better workplace back in the US, and they moved in our second years of high school, but we kept in touch."

"After graduating I was supposed to find a job in the city and get my own life started. Anna and I both choose a medical profession, so we decided to find a cheap apartment and rent it together. But about a year and a half ago, we got a devastating call from Emily's mother." Her voice started to slightly tremble, which the whole group picked up.

"She was hit by a car when a drunk bastard lost control while speeding. To this day she is in intensive care but her medical bills are slowly sucking her family dry. And the worst part is that she needs a brain surgery but they can't afford it."

"Anna and I started to save up, and while our help meant a lot to her family, it cold barely cause a dent in the bills. Then, I heard about this expedition Blu and Jewel were planning and they needed more medical personnel." She collected herself and calmed down after Jewel put a wing on her shoulder for support.

"So I signed up. If we get paid then the money will be more than enough to pay for the bills and her recovery… There isn't that much more to it." She finished, happy to be through it. To this day she still thinks and worries a lot about her friend, it was one of the reasons why she was so angry when they had to bunker down.

"Wow. That is a very honorable and noble act, she is indeed very lucky to have a friend like you. I'm sure it will work out in the end." Ripso commented, surprised by the selfless goal she had. Since everyone finished, he realized it is probably his turn to share his story, and so he did just that.

"I'm afraid I don't have all that much to say either. I was born shortly after the first Shawax invasion was finally beaten back. I never met my real parents, as they were reportedly killed during an evacuation."

"Apparently I was still just an egg tugged between my mother's lifeless wings when my future foster parents found me. Two scarlet macaws, Ellie and Steven Rogers. They were running from a Shawax infantry squad ravaging the area when Ellie saw me. They ran up and when they confirmed that my parents were dead, they took me to safety."

"Honestly one of the most caring foster parents I could ever dream of. They loved me as their own even though we were not even the same species. When Earth was finally rebuilt to sustain the remaining population on it's own, I got two additional sisters and a brother. I rightfully label them as my parents."

"So we were a rather big family. On that note, I never really told my real name right? Only my callsign. Well, my original name is unknown as you might have guessed, so they named me Maxwell. I'm now known as Maxwell Rogers."

"Even with all the chaos, my childhood was relatively intact. We were not affected by the invasion's aftermath as bad as I though it would. I went normally to elementary and high school. I got accepted into a university to become an astronomer, but didn't finish it. Around halfway I learned exactly what happened to me."

"My parents were reluctant in my youth to tell me the full story. And I got engulfed by rage and hatred I never though was possible towards these aliens. So I enrolled in the academy first chance I got. They were not exactly happy about my decision but understood it and supported me non the less."

"I enrolled, realized I can fly vipers and raptors pretty good, and two years later here I am." He finished, pondering if he covered every major point in his life. He concluded yes, and waited for any questions the group might have. Blu spoke up after a few seconds.

"Wow. Avianity must be very resilient if we got back on our feet that fast. As someone who was fortunate enough to grow up in a 'war free' world, after comparing I'd say you seem to have had a pretty normal life Ripso… Or Maxwell, Max? What should we call you now?" Blu commented, but got confused by the new naming.

"We don't need to break old habits. If it's easier, just continue with Ripso. I don't mind either." The pilot admitted.


	12. Getting to know the people Part 4

**Chapter 11**

Getting to know the people Part 4

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

"This whole rescue operation was really tiring, at least for me. I thought about it for a while and realized this sort of thing is probably routine for you. How much free time does a pilot have in the fleet?" While this was not the question Ripso was expecting, he managed to reply almost instantly, not really having to think about the answer.

"Not very much." He said with a displeasing tone, the expression on his face turning a bit sour thinking about it. "Between deployments we get two to three days, four tops. Most of that time is used to properly clean up our gear, get to refill and resupply stuff, and a lot of sleeping. I mean a _lot_ of sleeping." His mood turned back to neutral but didn't forget to place an emphasis on the duration of sleep.

"My god, that sounds awful. But you are birds not robots. Surely this isn't healthy for one's mind." Jewel commented, thinking about what these people must be going through. For all they knew, that life could be hell itself. Ripso chuckled hearing the female's reaction. "Well that is war for you. You either get over it and do your job or die." A short silence followed, before he spoke up once more.

"Maybe I was not that honest. You do get a longer shore leave every year. Two weeks to be exact. But as you can guess it is by no means enough to deal with the amount of crap you face every damn day." Ripso corrected his previous statement, remembering the shore leave every soldier has a right to use.

The group looked concerned, and he realized he managed to turn a happy moment to another negative and pity one. After mentally slapping himself, he added shortly after to fix his mistake. "But I'll tell you all something. Our drill sergeant told this to us the very first day at the academy. At first, I thought it was bullshit but after serving for about two years, it definitely turned out to be true." He paused for a moment, looking at the empty glass in front of him, examining his reflection while collecting his thoughts.

"When you are so close to death, where every day could be your last… You learn to cherish the moment. The present you currently live in. And that is what a lot of us do." He explained, remembering humorous moments from his time in service which brought a small smile on his face. "We may be holding on to a railing while a nuclear warhead is detonated against our battlestar's hull. We may be jumping six times in a row, making even the most experienced of us have FTL sickness for days to evade a pursuing Shawax fleet. We might fly through a rain of bullets every day in space, but none of us complain about it."

"And want to know why?" He addressed the group as a whole but didn't wait for anyone of them to answer his question. "It makes us feel _alive_. In the end of the day, all of us will die some way or another. But we will die knowing we did our damn best to fill hell up with as many lizards as possible before we get there." He finished his impromptu speech, impressing the macaws with his determination and courage. But the last thing he wanted is to be praised, so he closed the topic. Luckily for him, the bartender just arrived and caught the attention of everyone.

"The usual Garry." Blu ordered, receiving a nod from the scarlet macaw, turning his head towards Blu's wife.

"I'm really not sure… Ah, I'll take what Blu is having." Jewel said.

"Same as before." Jane politely asked.

"Surprise me." Ripso requested.

"Coming right up." Garry promised the group of macaws, turning away to prepare the next batch of drinks. With that out of the way the birds returned to their previous conversation. Blu decided to initiate once again with a way more chilled but cheesy question. "You said everyone gets two weeks of free time a year. What do you then? Any hobbies?"

"Not surprisingly it is actually astronomy. Part of the reason I enlisted in the military other than bloodthirsty revenge is because I got a chance to be in space and leave my home system. Just letting yourself go under a clear night sky, watching the stars shine down on you. Knowing that light traveled centuries if not eons to hit your retina. It is just amazing." Ripso enthusiastically explained his passion, happy the topic changed to another one he actually enjoys talking about. For Blu at least, it was a bit funny that a bird who has the ability to literally visit other star systems would be so interested in astronomy.

"Now I'm really lucky, because usually I serve under Admiral Reil. He is an excellent admiral in the avian fleet, one of if not the best. Anyway, he and I actually know each other somewhat, because his younger brother was a professor in university. During a mission a recon raptor was trashed in an electronical warfare assault."

"The Alliance wanted to scrap it, but I convinced Reil to allow me to purchase it. So now I had a barely working raptor which is mostly intact, just needed its electronics to be replaced. I got my hands on civilian grade hardware, and I got one of those fancy space reflector telescopes. By the second week I managed to get it to work properly, so the next time I get shore leave I'll probably be jumping around the stars just taking pictures." He finished speaking, passing the word to the rest of the group. It looked like the macaws were satisfied with the answer but didn't really know what to add regarding the topic. The story did spark both Blu's and Jane's interest however.

"You gotta take me with you on that one. That seems like an awesome thing to do." The Lear's macaw exclaimed, her voice a mixture of half serious and half joking, making it really hard to differentiate which one she meant. Ripso took it as a joke, so he replied in a similar fashion. "I'm sure we can arrange that."

Meanwhile Garry returned with the drinks, placing them between the four birds. After exchanging thank yous with the bartender, the macaws clicked their glasses together. "Cheers!" Once everyone emptied their glass, Blu noticed the music pace started to change.

"Ah, would you look at that. The king of carnival is about to set things in motion." He exclaimed, turning everyone's attention towards the DJ table. Before now, the lights were turned on which was strange regarding the fact the spotlights were trying to do a light show which was not really that effective. Suddenly the main lights turned off, transforming the whole room's atmosphere to a true nightclub feel. The way more energetic South American music made almost every bird move their body in some way, synchronizing their beats with the rhythm.

"King of carnival? I sense there is a story here." Ripso asked, it was surprising that a bird he initially got to know on not too favorable terms and seemed like a rather strict bird would hold such a title. Blu moved his head and eyes from the crowd towards the macaw to explain, but the moment he spotted him Blu almost froze in place.

It took a moment for him to snap out of it but touched both females on the shoulder to get their attention. The women looked at Blu curiously before glancing back at the pilot, their eyes widening the moment they saw what apparently Blu saw.

Meanwhile Ripso was dumbfounded, thinking he may have said something offensive or something. After a few seconds the staring became way too uncomfortable for his liking so he asked the group what the problem was. "Did I say something wrong?" Jewel raised an eyebrow at the question as if it was the most average thing in the world, she lifted one of her wings and pointed it towards the blue macaw.

"Your. Eyes. Are. Glowing. Blue." She said slowly, thinking about how stupid is sounds when she speaks the words. Ripso formed a surprised expression on his face, realizing why the macaws act so strange. He put a sheepish smile on his face while placing a wing behind his head, lightly scratching it in embarrassment.

"Oh. Yeah… Sorry about that." He replied, and just if it was a switch, his irises slowly dimmed until they were no longer glowing at all, turning his eyes back to normal. The rest of the group was still utterly confused, so the pilot sighted, realizing he completely forgot to mention this and that probably freaked them out.

"During the 40's it was not yet known that Tylium was actually a highly reactive element, and when the Shawax invaded Earth nearly every vehicle used it as fuel. As we lost more and more the exploded fuel slowly dissipated into the atmosphere."

"Since I was still in an egg when Earth was liberated, I got plenty of contaminated air to get through the shell. Thousands of kids had their genetic makeup slightly altered, giving us this." He explained, pointing towards his eyes, the irises once again started to glow in a light royal blue hue. "We can see slightly more wavelengths of light, and we see a little bit better in the dark." He finished his sentence, this time not bothering to stop his eyes from glowing.

"Wait. You are a bit genetically mutated, can see better at night and you didn't tell us?" Blu recovered from the shock but immediately questioned the logic. While he was not exactly mad, the bit negative surprise was very well picked up by the rest of the group, which both Jewel and Jane supported to some degree. The pilot broke eye contact for a moment, glancing at the floor below. "Sorry about that. This is a natural part of me and such a known fact back home that I completely forgot about it."

"Don't need to apologize. It was just the last thing we expected to see when we saw you." Blu responded, slightly regretting his attitude and the way he handled the situation.

"Anything else you can do which might be interesting?" Jewel questioned the blue macaw, who pondered over the question, making sure he didn't forget anything this time. The task was quite hard since he had to evaluate what they might not know.

"Nothing I think. I can do goofy tricks with it like make it pulsate and stuff but nothing practical." The group focused their attention at the macaw's eyes, curious about what he was about to show. Slowly but steadily his irises began to pulsate with various intensity until they synced with the music's rhythm completely.

"Huh. I'm impressed. Cool trick. You need to teach Blu how to do that." Jewel chuckled at the trick, jokingly mentioning his husband. Blu laughed at the statement. "I don't think it works like that dear."

Now fully recovered from the glowing eyes shock, Jewel was able to get back to enjoy the music, letting herself go, the beats moving her body naturally. By now, the drinks have started to kick into effect, turning her mood even lighter and happier. The current song finished playing, and the next one was one that Jewel enjoyed very much. She got up from her chair and nudged Blu slightly, inviting him for some dancing. The male looked at his wife and smiled, accepting the invite.

Blu looked back at the two birds, silently questioning if they wanted to come dance as well. To his surprise both macaws declined immediately. After thinking about it, it made sense. Jane couldn't really dance with her feet, and Ripso probably dislikes it. The two parties temporarily said goodbye and parted ways for the night.

* * *

Later that night

It was about 5 AM local Amazonian time, and the party organized by Rafael and Daniel has officially ended. Finally, every bird could let go and have some proper fun, catching up on matters unrelated to work, and a few birds might have gotten a little closer than before. Thankfully no bird made a mess, so cleanup should be really easy and straightforward. In less than ten minutes most birds left the room and headed back towards their respective rooms for some much needed rest.

The toucan and eagle rolled up the probably hundreds of meters long cables, while others moved the speakers back into storage. Blu and Jewel had a wonderful time together, managing to dance almost the entire night, which really surprised Jewel, who never would have thought his husband had so much stamina. Nico and Andrew managed to relax and somewhat process the stuff, meaning Rafael's plan worked like a charm. Jane and Ripso remained at the bar table but both birds decided to stop drinking after the blue macaws left. With everyone packing up, Ripso got the attention of the scarlet bartender.

"Garry, is it?" The macaw nodded his head, turning his body towards the Spix macaw, waiting for the question while cleaning glasses. "You need help cleaning up? I'm free." The scarlet macaw smiled at the gesture but declined the offer, finishing the cleaning of the current glass he was holding.

"Nah, thanks for the offer though. But there really isn't that much work to do., we should be done in ten minutes. Besides, you had a rough day, you should take some rest. I don't know much about your fancy future life or how you live it, but I can see that you are tired buddy." The pilot agreed with the statement, deep down happy that the scarlet macaw refused because he was indeed tired but felt like he still didn't do enough to repay these people. He directed his attention to the female next to him, who was rather silent for the past few minutes.

"You feeling alright Jane?" He questioned the Lear's macaw, who seemed to snap back to reality hearing her name. She looked around the room with a very tired expression, which gave away the reason for her behavior. She apologized for the lack of conversation. "Sorry, I just got really sleepy all of a sudden." Ripso chuckled, not surprised at all.

"No wonder, we have been up almost all night. The party is over now, want me to help you get to your room? You drank a fair amount, sleeping ought to help in making you feel better." She was too tired to argue or disagree with the blue macaw, so Jane accepted the help. Both macaws got up, and the Lear's macaw placed most of her weight on him like before. While they were walking towards the exit, the blue macaw managed to find Blu who was speaking with Rafael at the moment.

The expedition leader was facing the doorway and got a clear sight at the two macaws, making it unnecessary to speak out loud in order to grab his attention. Blu glanced at Ripso and Jane, and the pilot waved back as a goodbye sign. Blu returned the gesture and continued to speak to the toucan as they packed up. The duo slowly but steadily walked between the corridors, by now Ripso managed to memorize most of the base. Once they got near the living section, the pilot wanted to double check the information.

"So uh, you _do_ know which room is yours right?" He questioned, receiving an annoyed response from the female next to him. "Yes, room 409. I'm not that drunk or sleepy." That statement got Jane thinking, how was Ripso still functioning after going through so much? As far as she could see, they were the only ones on the corridor, so she asked the macaw.

"How come you are so lively and sober? You drank just as much as me and were up for about the same time." The blue macaw thought about it but disagreed with her points. He was fairly drunk, but a big advantage he had over everyone else here is that CASSIDY actively combated and reversed the effects of alcohol in his brain. He was tired on the other hand, ready to just collapse on the floor and sleep there.

"Military life toughens you up for these things. Plus, perhaps my tolerance levels are higher than yours." Jane seemed to be dissatisfied with the shallow answer but couldn't really argue because they reached her room's door. She grabbed the door handle and opened it, the lights turning on automatically.

For the first time, Ripso got the chance to get an indirect glimpse at the Lear's macaw's personal life. The room was super clean and tidy, everything seemed organized and labeled. There was no doubt she was a professional in her field. The only thing that stood out was a work desk which was littered with paperwork and books.

Jane fully let go of the blue macaw, placing the full weight on her legs which hurt but she only had to make a few steps until she practically jumped onto her bed. Once she had appreciated the soft texture of the sheets, she made herself comfortable and glanced towards the male who still stood midway inside the room. "Thanks for helping me get back here." She thanked him, receiving a smile as a result. "Don't you have a room? Where will you sleep?" She added, just realizing she didn't know what the situation was regarding a sleeping place for his new friend.

"Errr… I don't have one actually, kind of forgot to ask Blu or Rafael about it. Most likely the only place I have is the medical room. I should probably get going, don't want to disturb the doctors or the cardinal, Pedro was it?" He answered the question while double checking the unfamiliar bird's name. Jane nodded her head, confirming that was indeed his name. "It's not exactly taboo to sleep is someone else's room. You can stay here if you want, the other bed is empty. Besides, the medical wing isn't that far but it is still some walking away. Not to mention those beds are not the most comfortable."

 _The sheet's texture does look a lot more comfortable. And it is only a meter away… No! Damn it man, both of you are drunk, that will not look good in the morning if someone sees it. You don't want to get kicked out._ He concluded, while she was probably just trying to be nice, people won't know that.

"I appreciate the hospitality, but I can't. Have to do something with the visor before I go to sleep. Besides, people say I sometimes snore, and trust me you will not like to listen to that all night." He joked, earning a small laugh from the macaw. Seeing as she can't change his stance, Jane decided to finally get some sleep and said goodbye. "Your choice. Well, good night then. Thanks again, it was a fun night."

"It sure was. Good night." Ripso replied, backing off until he left the room, turning off the light on his way out. After closing the door, he turned around and walked towards the medical wing, pondering over what happened the past day. This community was truly friendly and full of kind birds. It didn't take him long to start having guilt trips, knowing what he might be dragging these people into. And since a very long time, he felt something else. Something he couldn't put a feather on just yet.


	13. Let's get the ball rolling

**Chapter 12**

Let's get the ball rolling

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

A full day has passed since Blu's expedition celebrated their successful rescue operation. Those who were directly involved and sustained injuries are now fully healed and ready to work. While our heroes got ready to start the day, the mechanics got up earlier to finish preparing the new helicopter for the extraction process. The group still has a lot of work ahead, like surveying the beach close to the crash site, determining the precise position of both Ripso's raptor as well as the universe switching device which the group nicknamed 'Hopper', and the actual task of raising both objects from the depths.

Inside the bedroom of two Spix macaws, Blu stirred before he slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling with no apparent object to focus on. His shoulder is now as good as new, and he intended to make use of it. Of course that depends if they can actually finish up and start the mission today, which he had some doubts. He felt slight movement coming from his right side, and it didn't take long to realize what that was. Jewel was still asleep, and while turning she unconsciously grabbed the blue macaw and locked him in a tight hug.

The last thing Blu wanted was to get out of this situation, but he had a duty and he already overslept a bit judging from his internal clock. Being very careful not to wake up his wife, the blue macaw wiggled his way from Jewel's wings, and once he got back his freedom the macaw got up from the bed and walked in the bathroom to get the morning routine over with. Once he left their bedroom, he noticed the hallways were unusually empty. Perhaps he didn't get up so late after all.

He made his way towards the communication tower, as that room had the necessary equipment to properly plan the upcoming mission in great detail. When he entered the room, he was surprised to see Rafael, Daniel, Ripso and Jane already there, discussing details. The group noticed him right away and greeted the expedition leader in union.

"Hey guys. I see you started planning without me. What do we have so far?" Blu asked the group a little disappointed, but was interested in the ideas his team came up with up to that point non the less.

"Sorry Blu, we didn't want to wake you up, but there isn't much else to do." Jane apologized in the group's name and handed the remote controller to Rafael, who switched on one of the big screens to show a map which displayed their location and the beach where Ripso crashed.

"We dubbed it Operation Rising Star. As of now, our plan has three stages. Stage number one is an active and passive recon of the beach area. Ripso voiced concern that the Shawax might already have started to probe the surface of the planet, and it is not that impossible to think that they could have located the wreck. Our first task once we get near the shoreline is to make sure there isn't any enemy air support. If there is we fall back and rewrite the plan which incorporates dealing with them." The toucan explained their line of thought, outlining the problems they have to overcome. Blu just nodded, not saying anything. Rafael took the silence as a cue to continue.

"If the area is clear, we are going to need to thoroughly check the whole beach for possible traps or explosives. Only then can we determine defensive positions. These are the points we will place assault infantry units." Rafael highlighted multiple points along the beach, visualizing just what they are really trying to do. Seeing the concept is totally new to Blu, he asked assistance from Ripso to explain what they are. The pilot was more than happy to explain it.

"Units consist of three birds total. Two with assault rifles and a heavy armor piercer as the third, but since our resources are a bit scarce we will replace the third with another assault rifle." Ripso elaborated, and after they saw that Blu understood it, Rafael finished his presentation. "We can't let them jump on us while we are extracting the raptor or Hopper. That is our most vulnerable state, and the openness is also a big risk factor. I already spoke with Daniel and Ripso about these issues, and according to them the security team should be able to handle this task without too much problem."

"And where do we get these weapons? As far as I know they only have hand guns. And nothing even close to a rocket launcher. We use the replicators?" Blu questioned, trying to figure out how will they outfit these units with the required gear. The pilot nodded his head, confirming his guess. "Yes, you guessed right. I already told Cassidy to upload the assault rifle and rocket launcher schematics. By tomorrow we should have all the weaponry and ammunition we need for the job."

"Alright, let's say we get the units to the marked positions. What's next?" Blu asked the group.

"Once we got the area secured, phase two will commence. In the second stage, we can accurately pinpoint the location of both our targets using radar and sonar images. Unfortunately, the storm completely stirred up the water, meaning we can't use normal avian sight."

"Because of this, we are going to need a dive team or something similar who can somewhat function under water in these circumstances. Their job will be to investigate every anomaly we find on our scans, and later on physically swim to the wrecks and evaluate their condition. That will help us decide how to safely raise them." The toucan outlined the mayor points of stage two, once again waiting for the blue macaw to either ask questions or signal to continue. Blu silently nodded, not finding anything noteworthy. Rafael looked at Ripso again, reminding him it is his turn.

"As weird as it may sound, our priority is not the Hopper but the raptor. We will need it to actually leave Earth and get the necessary resources to fix any damage the Hopper might have sustained. If we get lucky enough that it works without problems, then we will use it to find and flush out the Shawax from the solar system. Hopefully we can do that before they leave a big enough mark that avianity will be able to find." Ripso explained the reason for the strange prioritization which the expedition leader could find odd.

Blu thought about the plan so far, being able to follow it without problems. Eager to know more, he continued his series of questions. "OK, that makes sense. We raise both of them to the surface. How will we secure the chopper while it transports the cargo? It will be a sitting duck for the enemies no?"

"When the cargo is lifted up in the air, phase three starts. The ground units stationed on the beach will regroup and closely follow it until we fall back to base. If we can get to a 200 meter radius of our base the soon to be fully manufactured missile batteries will keep any stray Shawax away. Pretty much the same thing we did when we rescued Pedro. Only this time we need to keep a lookout for enemies as well." Rafael finished the plan's explanation, thinking if he missed something, but since neither bird from the group spoke up, he concluded that was all. Reading the toucan's body expression, the blue macaw spoke up.

"Well, I don't really see any obvious problem with this plan. In case this is the final version, my vote is yes." Blu stated, but he was quickly halted by the pilot. Everyone looked at him with a questioned look. "Hold your horses, you didn't hear everything yet. I already discussed this with the others, but since you are the leader and the one who will ultimately decide, it is best you hear this too." Blu wanted to talk but stopped himself and let Ripso speak.

"The Shawax are a race that is very technology orientated. They don't have morals that are anywhere near the level we do, and as such the only thing they weigh when considering an attack is tech and material assets. While they would want nothing more than to enslave you all, like I said before, they will not attack you."

"You are simply not a priority for them. I am willing to bet my life that they already know what technologies your civilization has, and you are simply not a threat in their eyes. The only thing they will actively hunt is stuff associated with me. But if we proceed with this plan, and make the hardware needed to pull this off, that will place this entire place on their radar. They will come after you as well from that point onward." He carefully explained, having the most serious face since he got here. It was evident he was not fooling around, and a warning coming from someone who knows as much as him about these enemies is not to be underestimated.

The atmosphere changed drastically, now having this new piece of information in mind. The plan and decision which was so easy to make a few seconds go suddenly turned into a fierce internal mental battle for the blue macaw. This information was not completely new to him, but after carefully pondering over it for a full minute he realized it was probably already too late to back off.

"The moment you jumped into our universe, you practically sealed our fate regarding these enemies. If we don't help now, then they will defeat us later like you said when we first spoke. It would be a huge irresponsibility to not help with this. I thought about this and my decision is final…"

"Let's do this." Blu confidently exclaimed, making it clear what his stance was. The birds in the room nodded in acknowledgement, and soon forwarded the plan to everyone who was involved in it. In less than an hour, the whole base started to buzz with activity receiving their newest orders. Ever since the storm's hit, work hours were never this high. People realized that the following tasks will have potentially world altering consequences.

While the birds got mentally and physically ready for the mission in front of them, the higher ups and officials made special visits to multiple parts of the base to oversee the first steps of the mission being put into action. Blu, Rafael and Ripso entered a very well guarded room full of big block shaped machines. Each box housed a variety of different robotic arms, molding shapes and drills. Behind the trio was another five birds, each carrying crates or barrels with them, which they placed at the middle of the room for temporary storage. Blu walked over to a central control panel, turning every machine on at once. Suddenly the blocks opened up, transforming from their compact form to something that resembled a smaller production line.

"What do we do after these missiles are finished? You still didn't tell us what the explosive will be. I'm not exactly comfortable having missiles inside the base you know." Blu said while examining the new production line.

"You haven't discovered it yet. Cassidy will be creating it, just enough to fit the rockets with them. They are incredibly stable so unless you purposely want to detonate it, it won't do anyone harm." Ripso replied. He always hated the Need to know basis but finding himself in the current situation he finally understood why it can be so important to do so.

Rafael and the security personnel grabbed the supplies and soon after dumped them inside each machine while Blu changed various settings on every replicator. The pilot did one last inventory check, and after confirming that everything needed was present, he decided it was time to start executing this part of their plan.

"Cassidy, upload the SAM and SV Ripper 5 blueprints now." Ripso instructed the AI, and a moment later every replicator's previously black screen was replaced by a 2D image of either an assault rifle or missile battery. The design unknown to everyone else in the room.

" _All replicators have been updated with the latest blueprints for the SAM and_ _SV Ripper 5_ _rifle_ _. The necessary resources are available and the replicators are ready for operation. Should I start the fabrication process?_ " CASSIDY queried, placing every device on standby mode, awaiting instructions.

"Nope. That is not my decision to make." He replied to the AI, turning his head towards the blue macaw and Toco Toucan. The two of them exchanged glances and after the silent but mutual agreement, Blu stepped forward towards the console once again, placing his wing on the lever. After a second of hesitation, he pulled it, kick starting a process they cannot back down now. The replicators roared to life, beginning their cycle by refining the raw materials needed. In a few hours, the very first missile launchers and assault rifles will be ready for use.

"Congratulations Dr. Gunderson. Your mission is now a joint expedition with the future military branch of avianity." Ripso patted the blue macaw on the back, before turning around and walking out the door with the security personnel, leaving him alone with his old friend. The two birds stared silently at the automated machines for minutes before Rafael decided to break the silence. "So, we are really doing this huh?"

"I guess we are. This will either be the adventure of our lives or the end of it." Blu replied rather coldly, the realization downed on him. The moment Ripso jumped in their world, it changed his destiny a lot, but with this, it derailed the whole train and set him on a new one. One that was completely unpredictable and unescapable now.

"Well said amigo. Let's go, we got a lot to do." Rafael replied, waiting for a reaction from the blue macaw. He took a deep breath, turned around to face his friend and walked towards the door Ripso left earlier. The two birds walked out, closing it behind them, letting the machines do their work in peace. Now that the necessary hardware is under manufacturing, their next objective will be to inspect the actual machine which will do the heavy lifting.

As the duo walked around the base towards the hangar, the expression of their fellow birds who walked among the halls changed to more serious one, everyone eager to do their part to get this mission under way. It was not a secret that many birds were uncomfortable with the whole situation even after Ripso's speech and explanation. However, everyone understood if they want this to end they need to assist the Spix macaw so most birds managed to put their differences aside for the time being.

There was a small minority however who was still very much against the assistance, and the impromptu 'leader' of this group made sure to voice his concerns with Blu and Rafael. After he received the news on the radio that their expedition laid out a plan and set it in motion, the blue and yellow macaw was furious. The bird promptly left his bed and went inside the bathroom to get a shower.

 _Idiots! What were they thinking? We are going to get ourselves killed if we oppose advanced aliens! That fool Blu and Rafael is crazy if they think we have any chance. Why can't they see this?!_ He thought to himself, frustrated. Every fiber of his being screamed this was a bad idea, but he got voted down. While he was glad that their expedition member was transported back to safety, he would have been much happier if they could have pulled it off without Ripso.

With this stunt, the bird gained even more popularity, making his effort to talk sense into others harder to do. Hearing the news on the speaker means they started to produce these new weapons, making them a target for these advanced genocidal aliens. The last thing he wanted was to die to aliens, so he had to form some kind of plan to salvage this situation, but for now he was to go with the flow and hope an opportunity presents itself.

Meanwhile Blu and Rafael entered the hangar just as the mechanic crew finished assembling the second rotor on the heavy duty helicopter they will use for the job. Ripso was already there, working on something in the cockpit. As the two birds got closer, the head mechanic walked up to them to do a routine report. The yellow canary greeted them. "Good day Blu, Rafael. We are about three forth of the way done, this bad boy should be ready to fly tomorrow morning. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Actually no, that was pretty much the only thing we wanted to ask. Maybe a question regarding the actual helicopter. Got every part you need? We will have a replicator free in a few hours." Rafael responded, impressed with the bird's professionalism, not wasting time but cutting straight to the point. The yellow bird shook his head.

"Thanks, but we got everything we need to replace the whole chopper if need be. We could use a few parts for the crashed Black Hawk though, but after hearing the plan that is probably not an option."

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll fix it up when this mission is done with… About this helicopter, how much weight can it lift?" Blu joined in the conversation and reassured the mechanic about the needed parts. The canary flew to a nearby bench. On top of it was a pile of metal cables, which looked really thick and strong. "It can lift both objects just fine on their own. Right now a group are working on a few upgrades and we could get away with one trip. That would spare time, fuel and be less dangerous overall."

"Good thinking. Can't wait to see it… Say, what is Ripso doing in there?" The Spix macaw questioned, looking to the side a bit to catch a glimpse of the pilot as he continued to do something on the flight controls. The yellow canary turned around to watch as well before he answered.

"Oh that. When the S70 crashed, the wall got damaged all the way and bent one of the support rods in the other room where the Chinook was stored. We were lucky enough that it damaged the whole front of the cockpit, trashing the controls." He explained the unfortunate events sarcastically, not happy one bit. "He offered to help and fix it while we get the rest of the helicopter up and running. Something about linking with a neural interface or whatever."

"Alright then. Report back when the chopper is ready to fly. Blu and I will be at the communication tower if someone needs us. There are still a few things left that we need to plan out." Rafael excused both of them, and parted ways. While the two birds walked out of the hangar, the mechanic turned around and flew next to the others, who were finishing up the rotor's installation.

* * *

Six hours later

While the mechanics were close to finish the last tasks on the helicopter, Blu got the alert from the Replicator room that the first batch of weapons were ready for use. After contacting Ripso, he advised Rafael to gather up everyone who was combat worthy and willing to participate. In less than ten minutes everyone met up at the security wing, where a couple of birds were helping the captain carry in the new firearms.

While the weapon was unknown to them, the design still followed the principals that modern day assault rifles were based upon. Thanks to this, it didn't take them long to get the hang of the weapon. The usage was very natural, the only thing Ripso had to do was show them the reloading process. A few birds assembled a long enough table so everyone can stand in one line, with a disassembled weapon in front of them. The pilot went so far as to get even Blu, Jewel, Jane and Rafael in line.

"Ok, so this right here is called the SV Ripper 5. One of the most common assault rifles used by the Avian Alliance. It can fire 80 bullets a minute, and can punch through Shawax infantry armor with three to four bullets. Recoil exists, but as you will see soon, it has improved over the decades. It can do both full auto and semi auto." He explained the weapon's capabilities in great detail, showing them a fully assembled rifle from all angles. Once they got a chance to see how it looks, he gave it to a green parakeet, who in return handed him another set, this time in pieces.

"Those who served in the military knows what this whole demonstration is, but a refresher can never hurt anyone. The Ripper 5 is made to be as modular as possible, but they are usually handled in a bigger group. These are as follows:"

"Muzzle, Barrel, Handguard, Receiver, Sight, Grip, Stock and finally, the magazine." **[*]**

He showed every individual part, holding them up the air so everyone can clearly see them. After all the parts have been addressed, he placed them back down and grabbed the middle receiver. "Now look carefully, this is how you assemble it."

"You grab the receiver and attach the Grip to get a decent hold on it. Then, install the stock on the back. After that, the barrel should clip in on the front, and that will allow the handguard to be attached. Put on the muzzle at the barrel's end and attach whichever sight works for you. Once all of that is done, you can clip in the magazine and you are set."

For the next twenty minutes, every bird got familiar with the parts and assembled then disassembled their weapon multiple times. Even Blu was surprised how easy it was once he memorized the correct sequence. While Denis was very much against all of this, he couldn't help but be impressed by the design. While he would never admit it, he couldn't wait to try it out at the shooting range. Fortune smiled upon him, as that was exactly the pilot's intention. The assistants set up the shooting range with targets, dummies and other things you can shoot at. There were not enough booths for everyone to try at once, so they had to rotate.

"Now comes the fun part. You turn off the safety switch, load a bullet like this, take aim and shoot." He explained the procedure, after which the macaw took aim and emptied the whole magazine between ten targets in different locations. His aim was nowhere near perfect but there were multiple hits on every dummy.

"I hope you don't expect us to shoot that bad." Denis remarked, chuckling after seeing the blue macaw's results. It was not bad by any means, certainly above average but he had seen better. The blue macaw rolled his eyes, then showed the way to the booth to the blue and yellow macaw. "My excuse is I'm a pilot. Give me a ship and I will make it dance for you. Guns? Not so much. Now, how about you show us how it is done then Denis?"

The smug on the blue and yellow macaws face only grew bigger by the pilot's challenge. He walked to the booth, turned off the safety switch and took a steady aim towards his first target. After closing his eyes for a second to concentrate and take a deep breath, he opened them, readjusted his aim and fired away. The first target was shredded with a storm of bullets, leaving it an unrecognizable pile of broken cardboard. He moved the weapon and devastated every target with pinpoint accuracy.

The final dummy fell of the pole just as the last bullet left the now empty magazine, leaving behind a proud Denis and a jaw dropped group of birds behind him. Even Ripso was surprised by the macaw's skills. Heck, it might have just been the best target practice he saw in his life. _That bird certainly has something going for him._ He thought to himself, before he questioned his companion. _Cassidy, what was his accuracy?_ The AI responded immediately. " _Ten targets down in less than eight seconds. Accuracy was 8_ _9_ _.7%. That is a spec ops performance even by Alliance standards._ "

"OK. Not bad I guess." Ripso admitted, earning another chuckle from the blue and yellow macaw who walked back to the group and placed his weapon down on the table. After the others snapped out of their surprised state, the group continued to take turn and practice their aim and shooting. After an hour it was clear the birds from the security department had no problem landing hit after hit.

Those from the civilian side, mainly being Blu, Jewel and Jane did not succeed all that much, but that was not really a problem, since Ripso just wanted them to know how to use one in case of an emergency. Soon after the training was concluded, the news arrived that the Chinook is ready for flying while the replicators finished producing enough ammunition for the mission and the base defenses alike.

"Well that concludes the training for the new gear. I'll help the mechanic crew set up the SAM batteries outside. But before we go I have something else for all of you." The pilot elaborated, grabbing the attention of every bird with his last sentence. An assistant brought in a box which the pilot placed on the table. Using his claws, he slashed it open, revealing the contents of it.

"This mission will require everyone to be at peak performance and have as much information as possible. I asked Cassidy if she could make a few of these." He said, before grabbing one of the devices and lifting it from the box, showing it to everyone. It was one of the same visors he wore himself.

"This is the Vision Basic 2. Not as advanced as mine, since Cassidy did not have the software, but it gives basic functions to increase your situational awareness. It has a mini GPS which works by linking it with other Visions. That way you will know your teammates location as well as any enemy they spot. It has a small sensor which reads your brain waves, basically you control it with thought." Ripso explained, placing one on everyone's head. Just like he said, they were able to browse between menus and options only using their minds.

"Neat. This is what augmented reality tech will be able to do?" Jane questioned, fascinated by the technology. She could use one of these for her everyday life. Much better than a phone that's for sure. The pilot had a small laugh hearing the question. "Hah. This is _nothing_. This is only a Vision Basic, wait until they release the Focus series in a few years."

* * *

 *** From that point on ward the explanation of a firearm will surely make anyone cringe who has even a little bit of knowledge about them, and I'd like to apologize for that. They are not that prominent where I live so this is all I managed to find and understand about the topic.**


	14. Operation: Rising Star Part 1

**Chapter 13**

Operation: Rising Star Part 1

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Earth, Amazonian rainforest east coast, April 21, 2021

After the somewhat exhausting mission planning and training, everyone got to bed very early in the evening and was sleeping ever since. Rising Star officially begins at 6 AM, so most of the crew woke up around 4 or so to get the Chinook helicopter prepped and running. Meanwhile those who will physically leave the base are given an extra hour of sleep, which they gladly used.

Inside the dark room of 205, a Toco Toucan was peacefully sleeping when the oh so hated buzzing of the alarm clock disturbed his slumber. He placed a wing over the clock to turn off the alarm and slowly opened his eyes to check the actual time. Disappointed that it was 5 AM already, he groaned before swiftly leaving his bed. After going through his daily morning routine of showering and washing his beak, Rafael left his room before locking the door.

He turned towards the cafeteria where he will meet his unit and the others. Sure enough, a few birds were already there when he entered. The kitchen staff have already prepared a rather delicious meal, which he was very thankful for. After getting some food on his plate, he walked over to a table where the early birds were. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Blu, who was notorious for sleeping in late. Next to him was Jewel and Daniel, already digging in on their breakfast. The blue macaw saw him right away and called out. "Hey Rafael! Over here!"

"Hey amigos. Blu, surprised to see you up so early." Rafael greeted the group and pointed out, earning a small chuckle from Jewel. "I had to drag his butt out from bed. Otherwise he would still be asleep."

Blu turned red as a tomato. "Jewel! You promised not to tell anyone." He groaned, half embarrassed and half annoyed. The female just giggled in response.

"I know but you are so adorable when you blush." She replied, obviously enjoying the situation. But she recollected herself and changed the topic a second later. "I spoke with the mechanics; the chopper is ready to work. Ripso was right about the weather report, the storm lost a lot of intensity. But radio communication will still need relays and the rain will make flying difficult." She explained their situation, earning a nod from the toucan in acknowledgement.

"Ok, that is not too bad. But say, where are the others? I see most of the security here but Ripso, Denis and Jane are missing." He asked, realizing that not everyone is present while breakfast time is almost over.

"Denis was actually the first one here. He ate and already left. Same with Ripso. I'm not sure about Jane though." Daniel joined in, answering the toucan's question. Right on cue, the Lear's macaw stepped through the door, her posture was much more lively than other birds. After she got herself a meal the macaw spotted the group and joined them. "Good morning." She greeted the group who greeted her back.

"You seem more energetic today than normal." The harpy eagle concluded, receiving a nod from the Lear's macaw in the process. "Yes, well today is a big day. You can't really charge into a possible battle being all grumpy and tired now can you?" She reasoned, attempting to pass on her view of the situation to the others.

"That is true." The harpy eagle agreed with the macaw while finishing up his plate. He got up from the table and excused himself, as he still had a few things to take care of before the mission begins. "Sorry guys and gals, I promised Ripso I'm going to help him distribute another batch of Visions he made last night for the dive team." The following minutes were spent by in silence, as no one had anything constructive to add to the conversation. Blu on the other hand got irritated after a while and decided he had to do something about it.

"I'm curious about your opinions. What do you think we will do when we get all that fancy hardware back?" The question caught most birds unprepared, not really thinking that far into the future with the amount of workload everyone had to do. It was a valid question, because Ripso was not all that specific about it.

"Good question. I would be very happy if his spaceship would not be that beaten up so we can patch it up, go to space to smoke out those genocidal aliens and then go back to our normal lives." Rafael stated, sharing his hopes that all of this could be over with soon. After the whole rescue mission and later on the limited interaction he had with Ripso at the party, he concluded the bird was not a bad guy. But it was also evident he was very out of place, and the more he stays the more chances something universe altering can happen.

"I'm going with Rafael on this one. The sooner we wrap this up the better it will be for everyone involved. People are still afraid about the implications. His long term stay would not be a good thing." Jewel spoke up, agreeing with the Toco toucan's opinion. She was not lying, some of the staff was indeed still uneasy, but were strong enough to put it aside for the mission.

"Valid point both of you. We're no mechanics and without seeing that wreckage our guess is as good as another. But think about what we could learn about the future from him while he stays. About technology, society… The longer he is here the more we can know." Blu continued the conversation, giving them his own view on the situation. The group chuckled at his enthusiasm, but had to point out the problems he listed.

"Very enthusiastic Blu. But you know his policy about future event secrecy. I doubt he will give up too much." Jane reminded her boss, who didn't agree with her. Jewel sided with Blu, not buying her statement.

"Oh come on Jane. You are on the same stance as Blu. I saw your eyes bright up when he talked about that accelerated healing growth thing or whatever." She pointed out her passion for medicine and healthcare, which was spiked by the pilot's mention of how fast he healed from his injuries.

"True. But while I'm dead curious myself, I know he can't stay for long. It is just too dangerous." The Lear's macaw confessed but still held her position on the matter. The birds continued the small talk while they finished their breakfast. After Rafael finished his plate, the group got up from their table and walked out the cafeteria. On their way to the communication room, they bumped into the lead mechanic who was just trying to find them.

"Oh, it is nice to see you guys! I was just looking for you. The helicopter is fully prepped and fueled up. My crew is cleaning up as we speak, the mission is ready to go in ten minutes if need be. Most of the ground teams are assembled and are awaiting orders." The yellow canary greeted the group and relayed the information. Rafael and Blu nodded, forming up the new tasks in their minds. The toucan looked at his blue macaw friend silently. There were no words exchanged between the two but they read each other's mind.

"Great. I'll head down and gear up myself. There is probably a few things to do before we can start this thing, I will coordinate the ground teams." Rafael explained his new plan to the group, who just nodded in response.

"Alright. We'll continue to the com room and set up the necessary things. We'll radio in when ready." Blu spoke next, and the two groups separated. While Rafael followed back the mechanic to the hangar, Blu's group made their way towards the communication room to finish their own logistics preparations.

* * *

Some time later, 6 AM

The hangar was cleared once again, making free space for the Chinook to safely take off. The four ground units were all fully geared up, waiting for the massive hangar doors to open up and let them out into the wilderness. Rafael and Daniel made a final inspection to make sure everyone had everything they need, and once that was done they radioed in, making it known that they are ready. Blu, Jewel, Jane and Ripso were up in the communication tower to lead the operation's first phase.

… _Mission control to all units, radio check please, over_ …

… _Alpha team reporting, over_ …

… _Bravo team reporting, over_ …

… _Charlie team reporting, over_ …

… _Delta team reporting, over_ …

… _Echo team reporting, over_ …

… _Radio check complete. Operation Rising star is now authorized. Good hunting! Mission control out_ …

With the vocal conformation now received, the twenty brave birds flapped their wings, leaving the safety of their research base, flying towards the biggest danger they might ever face in their life. At the communication tower, the occupants can only hope nothing bad will happen to them, as they are powerless to intervene from this point onward.

Fortunately for our birds, unlike Pedro's rescue mission, this time the target was much closer to home base, making the transit time less than ten minutes via avian flight. Although the radio was acceptable at these distances, they were ordered to place down multiple relays every kilometer, since this time hostiles may be present who would surely try to scramble communications.

They did exactly that successfully five times in a row without any conflicts. In theory this is the last relay they need to place down before they reach the beach and can begin the second stage of phase one. Once they reached the required distance, Rafael ordered the whole group to stop and begin the procedure.

… _Alpha leader to every unit, get ready to land, we are going to place down the last ones. Bravo, find a suitable place and install the relays. Charlie and Delta, you watch over Bravo team while they set them up. Echo, you move forward and do a scout of the area, I want no surprises. Alpha leader out_ …

Just as instructed, the three members of Bravo team removed the strapped on relays from their backs and searched for a well sheltered location to place down the equipment. The birds belonging to Charlie and Delta flew around them in patrol fashion, keeping their eyes sharp for any possible enemy contact. Meanwhile Echo team led by Daniel and two other harpy eagles moved forward to get an idea what might be in front of them.

The trio had to slow down and eventually stop, because they reached the dense jungle's end, finally revealing the coastline while still providing them with cover from possible enemy forces. The hurricane changed the landscape from a beautiful beach to a rough debris filled one. The birds hid themselves in the still dense foliage, scanning the beach, searching for anything out of the ordinary. After not seeing anything too remarkable, Daniel asked one of his teammates to give him a binocular.

Once he got the requested instrument, he scanned the coastline once again, but this time the blood almost froze in his veins. The eagle lowered the binoculars and blinked once, making sure he was not seeing things and checked once again. The discovery prompted him to contact his superior with haste.

"Alpha leader, this is Echo one. When is the relay online? Over."

… _Echo one this is Alpha leader. Relay should be up in a few seconds. What's the problem? Over_ …

"Echo one to Alpha leader. I see eight unidentified contacts all over the beach. They do not resemble avian design at all. Sending visuals now. Orders? Over." Daniel asked for instructions while streaming his vision live to the toucan.

Rafael's body tensed up hear the report. He was mentally well prepared for this situation, but the thought that this will really go down still caused quite a turmoil inside he toucan's mind. The received visual feed of the scout party was not helping the issue at all. Daniel was right, whatever was on the video was not avian in design.

The scorpion like creature was not something they would have the technology to create. And no reason for them to be on that beach unless they know about the crashed raptor and its cargo. There was no denying it now, aliens have landed on Earth. Moments later he got word that the new set of relays are active and once again they are within strong contact with home base.

"Echo one, hold your position and continue to monitor those unidentified targets. I'll get more information and come back to you. Report if anything changes. Over."

… _This is Echo one, roger that. We will hold our position and monitor the targets. Echo one out_ …

* * *

Mission control

Once Daniel confirmed his orders, Rafael instantly contacted home base and sent over the video footage for analysis. Inside the relative comfort of the communication tower, the four macaws were sitting in front of an array of monitors, looking at the progress of the ground teams. From the last report they were setting up the last set of relays, so until that was done they didn't have active communications.

"After this they should be able to scout the beach, right?" Jewel questioned, growing anxious by the long wait between reports. She was not alone with this feeling, as it was shared by both Blu and Jane. Ripso was rather calm, but knowing his history it made sense.

"They send a team forward every time they place down a relay. This time the scout team would reach the end of the jungle, by the time they establish contact we should know about the coastline." The pilot answered Jewel's question while observing the map. Coincidentally Alpha team just finished deploying the relays and communications were restored as the final set of relays came online.

… _This is Alpha Leader to Mission control, anyone copy? Over_ …

"Alpha Leader this is Mission control. We hear you loud and clear. Go ahead." Blu answered the message, eager to hear the newest report. Before the next reply could come over the radio, they received a new data stream, and from the looks of it, it was a video file.

… _We're sending over a visual feed right now. Echo team went ahead and scouted the beach. During their recon they managed to spot eight unidentified objects all along the shore. If it is possible I'd like to request Ripso to examine it. Over_ …

Just as Rafael finished the sentence the video file finished downloading. CASSIDY automatically opened it and sped up the beginning as it was displaying just leaves and branches. A moment later they could see the coastline which was ravaged by the storm. However, after closer inspection eight dark colored specs were randomly placed along the beach. "Cassidy, zoom in on that black spec to the left." Ripso instructed his assistant, who complied and performed the actions.

The image displayed a black armored six legged robotic creature with three strange looking forward facing limbs as well as an elongated tale which appeared to end with some sort of satellite dish. The inside temperature was a pleasant 22 degrees, but the moment the creature appeared, it felt like the temperature dropped below zero. Suddenly silence filled the room so intense, the noise generated by the computer components was equal to a jet engine's roar.

"A Shawax scout class scorpion drone." The pilot stated, not removing his eyes from the image. A tenseness never before observed in the macaw erupted to the surface as he got up from his chair and walked in front of the controls to instruct the ground units. Neither of the other macaws stopped him, realizing from this point onward he is the only one who has any knowledge on their new set of problems.

"Mission control to Alpha Leader. The unidentified targets are Shawax scout drones. They are not as deadly as other automated forces, but you will have to hurry and take them out before they call in the heavier robots. Over."

… _Alpha leader here. How do we proceed, what is the optimal tactic here? Any known weak points we can exploit? Over_ …

While this exchange was ongoing, CASSIDY went ahead and brought up the known schematics for Shawax scout drones, and after analyzing the blueprints the AI identified several structural weak points they can exploit. Ripso was quick to make sense of them and relay it to the operatives on the field.

"Mission control to Alpha leader. To make use of the Ripper 5's optimal fire range you will need to get closer to them. These are scouts designed to recon terrain and other obstacles not fight enemies. Their sensors use a special type of RADAR technology, as long as you stay within the jungle foliage they cannot see you."

"Weak points are the joints between the body and legs, and also the end of their tail. That part houses three small booster rockets they use for quick maneuvers. You shoot that right and the whole thing blows to bits. Be advised, suppressive fire does **not** work on drones. Sending blueprints to your Vision now. Over." Ripso explained with as much detail as he could while the data transferred. At this point he was glad CASSIDY was there, because his knowledge was limited regarding ground forces.

… _Alpha leader to Mission control. Orders acknowledged, data packages received. Will continue to relay any new information. Moving out. Alpha leader out_ …

The pilot then turned towards the Lear's macaw. "Jane, go get the diving team and get in the Chinook. We need to be airborne as soon as they finish off the scout drones." The female nodded her head silently and got up from her chair before practically flying out the room.

* * *

Meanwhile at the shoreline

Back with Alpha team, Rafael made sure to broadcast Ripso's dialogue over the public channel. That way he did not have to explain everything again, making less room for error. After he sent over the weak points to every other bird, the toucan decided it was time to advance forward and neutralize the threat before it gets out of hand.

"Alright boys, time we test out these new weapons Ripso made for us. Bravo and Charlie, move with Alpha team and cover us while we advance towards the south. Delta, you meet up with Echo and when we are all in position target the first three drones that are in your sights!"

Once Rafael gave out the new orders, the flock of birds silently acknowledged it and without wasting valuable time flew towards the beach. Meanwhile Echo team continued to monitor the scout drones, looking for any sudden changes in behavior or movement. The robots were slowly walking along the shore, scanning it and the shallower water in search of something. Once mission control sent over the approximate location of the crashed raptor and Hopper, it became apparent the Shawax were after the same prize. They have to disable them before they locate the wrecks, as they cannot possibly extract them before reinforcements arrive.

Echo team moved towards the south to get a better angle at the closest three drones they will be tasked with shooting down. The three eagles arrived just in time as the members of Delta team caught up and joined them. While they waited for their fellow birds to get in position, they intercepted a new transmission.

… _Mission control to every ground unit. I've got an update on the enemy that may be of some use. Because there is no solid Shawax infrastructure in the solar system, the scout drones cannot communicate without switching to a so called communication mode. They are totally defenseless in this position, therefore the moment you engage a unit will immediately attempt to flee. You need to make sure they are all destroyed before one manages to establish a link. Mission control out_ …

"Hah. And just how are we supposed to shoot a bugger down if it runs? Those things had freaking guns for arms. And these are not _combat_ drones? We can't even get near them without dying…" A black hawk bickered, but got instantly shut downed by Rafael who got annoyed by it. "Shut it Charlie three. Less chit chat and more wing flapping, we need to get in position. We will worry about that when we get there."

"Y… Yes sir!" The hawk replied, sealing his beak shut for the rest of the flight. After a minute of soaring through the air, the flock of birds arrived at the designated location. Once everyone safely landed on a branch they got as close to the edge as possible to avoid the drone's detection. The Toco toucan quickly assessed the situation, as the clock was ticking. From his vantage point and the video feed from Echo team he got the conclusion that they could effectively take out five or maybe six of the eight drones. That leaves two which can retreat, but thanks to their positioning the only way is towards the ocean and as far as he knows those things can't swim. Suddenly an idea popped in his mind which should make things way easier.

"This is Alpha leader to every unit. Prepare to move to ground level and take position behind the stone boulders. They provide much better cover than leaves do. Targets should be marked on everyone's visor to know where to aim. Report once in position. Over." He then switched to a private channel with Bravo two to give him a special task. "Bravo two, this is Alpha leader on a private channel. Denis, I need you to fill a more specialized role. Over."

… _Bravo two to Alpha leader. What do I need to do? Go ahead_ … The blue and yellow macaw replied, patiently waiting for instructions while the other birds flew towards the ground to get behind cover.

"You should have a zoom scope in your gear. Change the sight on your weapon. Since you got the best aiming skills, I will need you to snipe for me. We can take on six drones at once, but that will leave two for communication. I want you to locate that two and destroy them when they attempt to establish a link. Join the others behind the rock cover or stay in the canopy, I don't care. Whatever works for you. Over."

… _Copied that Alpha leader. Swapping sights right now. Will report when ready. Stand-by_ …

Bravo two grabbed the zoom scope and began to swap the reflex sight. Thanks to the simple weapon design the task should be finished within seconds. In the meantime, he was considering joining the others by the rocks but quickly realized he will only have clear vision when not in cover and that is not exactly the healthiest thing to do as a marksman. After arriving at the conclusion that it is safer in the treetops, his eyes scanned the surroundings and not long after found an ideal hiding spot.

By now he finished changing the equipment and swiftly moved between the leaves to the newly found vantage point. After laying down and finalizing his position, he decided it was time to radio in. From what he could see the others just finished getting into position themselves, meaning he did not waste too much time. "Bravo two to Alpha leader. Sights swapped and in position. I'm ready. Over."

… _Bravo two this is Alpha leader. Roger that. Be ready to fire once your targets move. Alpha leader out_ …

… _This is Alpha leader to every unit. This is it. Get ready, load your weapons and aim at the selected target. Be ready to engage on my command. Stand by_ … Every bird tensed up after hearing the radio but did as they were told. They loaded their rifles at an almost perfect sync and a second later were already aiming at the drone their Vision highlighted. The sudden adrenaline rush came soon after, as the birds mentally prepared to officially attack an alien race for the first time in avian history.


	15. Operation: Rising Star Part 2

**Chapter 14**

Operation: Rising Star Part 2

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

Rafael waited patiently for the unsuspecting Shawax drones to walk into a position where the ambush would be the most effective. Luckily for them, a few seconds later every drone arrived at the perfect spot and without hesitation the Toco toucan gave out an order they could not back off now.

… _Alpha leader to every unit. Weapons free, OPEN FIRE!_ …

The peaceful calm atmosphere of the beach was broken immediately as multiple deafening gunshot noises filled the quiet air. The twenty so birds all moved out of cover and rained down hellfire on the unsuspecting recon drones. Due to the bullets extreme speed, the drones realized something was wrong by detecting the bullets hitting their armor instead of the soundwaves which didn't have enough time to arrive yet.

While these drones possessed limited intelligence at best, they responded quite differently from what the teams expected. Instead of being confused and frozen, the drones reacted with light speed and switched to a defensive position while frantically scanning the surrounding area for hostiles. It took them a few scans until they were able to locate two or three locations where the bullets came from, but by this time the birds already took out a drone with focus fire.

As it turns out, the avian soldiers were not the only ones with an interlinked support system. Being literally next to water, the drones had no other choice but to form a tight circle in order to protect the two units who were not in the direct line of sight of the enemy. One of these drones started to do a more thorough search since it was physically protected. The scorpion like robot found the members of Echo and Charlie team, and after relaying this information via wireless communication with the other drones, the Shawax forces finally returned fire.

The dual machine guns on the five front line scouts roared to life and began to spit out bullets at a much higher rate than what the avian soldiers could do. This suppressive fire forced the birds to dive back behind the rocks, giving them a chance to at least reload and decide what to do next.

"Well we certainly got their attention." Daniel sarcastically remarked the obvious to break the ice, reloading his rifle with a brand new magazine in the process. In the meantime, Rafael ordered the focus fire on another scorpion, which almost got destroyed but switched targets at the last second, forcing them to duck as well. "Darn it! Bravo two, now it's your turn, shoot the middle drone to my left. It keeps scanning us and telling the others where we are. Bravo and Delta, distract them while we reload!"

The blue and yellow macaw remained motionless ever since the engagement began, and now after receiving the order, he took aim and brought up the robot's schematics provided by Ripso to identify the weakest point he could hit. Unfortunately, the robots in front of it did an excellent job at shielding the drone from any possible serious damage. Suddenly a very short timed opportunity rose, where the gap between them was big enough to shoot the tip of the robot's "head".

Denis enhanced his senses and awareness, allowing him to concentrate hard enough to take a perfect shot. Without wasting any valuable time, the macaw pulled the trigger, as much as he did not want to engage alien forces. The fact that his fellow birds were under fire overrode these mental blocks and as a result a single high velocity bullet left his rifle.

Moments later the projectile came in contact with the protected robot's head, destroying the delicate internal components. Thanks to this, once again the group was left blind to the bird's locations, allowing Alpha, Charlie and Echo teams to relocate. Bravo and Delta left their cover and once again began to shoot the drones who were not paying attention to them.

The closest scout to Echo team already sustained heavy damage and seconds later fell to the ground as Daniel stormed the body, slowly chipping of armor here and there until he had a clear line inside the robot's torso. With Charlie team he was collectively targeting the next robot in line, and a harpy eagle was lucky enough to shoot a bullet between the two joints on the top of its tail, igniting the boosting rockets hidden behind them.

The fragments and debris created after the explosion damaged every other drone in the bunch, temporarily disabling their weapons and blowing them further apart, breaking their unified wall of defense. The robot which was damaged by Denis was unfortunate enough to be the closest to the blown up unit, resulting in its own destruction.

With four units down, the remaining drones managed to regain their composure and just started to spray fire the area, hoping the resulting suppressive fire will be enough to force the enemy back into hiding. Neither side was willing to give up, but after a dozen of near misses between birds, Rafael did not want to risk it anymore. "Take cover! Disengage!"

The scout drones used the opportunity to continue suppressing the enemy while the least damaged drone began its transformation to contact the Shawax about their situation. Meanwhile back at the research base, mission control observed everything thanks to the live feed provided by Denis's Vision. It was apparent the ground teams were too involved with not getting shot to realize this, which was understandable. Ripso made sure to warn them, because this was a critical part of their mission.

… _Mission control to all units. They formed a way tighter wall! A scout is attempting to switch to communication mode! Do not let it finish. I repeat, do not let it finish! Break that wall somehow! Sniper, take it out once the tail transforms to a satellite dish! Mission control out_ …

The blue and yellow macaw quickly assessed the situation but there was no way to effectively break the defense in time. He formulated a very risky idea which could work in theory if they execute it perfectly. "Alpha leader, this is Bravo two. I have an idea how to finish them off but be advised, it is very risky. Over."

… _Bravo two this is Alpha leader. Go on, what is your idea? Make it quick, over_ …

"I need everyone to fire at the drones so someone can fly above and ultimately behind them, above the water surface. If that bird shoots them from the back they will turn and I can have a clear line of shot and take out the communicator and the last drones with it. Over."

… _Negative, that risk is too great. We need another idea_ … Rafael responded but a harpy eagle broke radio protocol to disagree before the topic could change.

… _This is Echo one. I'm volunteering to fly behind these tin cans, over_ … The toucan was very quick to forbid the action from happening and did everything he could to stop it.

… _Echo one, you will stand down and follow orders. The chances of dying are very high. I will not allow it_ …

… _Oh for fucks sake Rafael, we don't have a choice! We are pinned down, and if those drones call for help we will all be dead anyways!_ … The next few seconds pass by with complete radio silence, as the parties involved weighted their options while the others did not wish to disturb them. The continuous sound of bullets hitting the stone and slowly chipping away material did urge them to decide though.

… _I hope you know what you are doing_ _Daniel… Fine, let's do this then. Echo one, Bravo two, get ready. Everyone else, shoot the damn robots! Alpha leader out_ … Rafael finally gave in, and set the plan in motion. The birds under his command complied and carefully peeked from their cover to fire upon the Shawax scout drones who were still firing bullets like no tomorrow. The trick worked, because neither drone realized the harpy eagle left his cover and flew high in the air, doing it as stealthily as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile with Mission control

The individuals inside the room were on edge after hearing the blue and yellow macaw's idea. They were even more worried after Rafael gave in and green lighted the plan, even though they knew that was their only option. Ripso knew they could no longer help them from here, and whatever the outcome was, they had to proceed with the mission. "There is nothing else we can do now. Blu, please send the word out to prep the Chinook for takeoff. We need to move onward with the mission and they could use the air support."

"Alright. We'll take over from here." Blu confirmed, moving closer to the keyboard and typing away to alert the mechanic staff inside the hangar to get ready. Jewel continued to monitor the ground teams progress while the pilot left the communication room and went towards the hangar.

The blue macaw picked up the pace once he left the vicinity of the communication room, not wanting to waste any more time. Already the engagement was far longer than what he was hoping for, but that was no surprise giving the inexperience those birds have with the enemy. Ripso arrived just in time, as the co-pilot started the engine and performed a routine system check while waiting for the pilot.

A duo of snow owls already prepped his flight suit and gave it to the macaw, who got inside it in a matter of seconds thanks to his rigorous training back at the fleet academy. The macaw stepped inside the helicopter via the back end door, taking one last glance at the crew before closing it behind himself. The mechanics packed up their equipment and left the area, allowing the Chinook to fly away.

"Gentlemen, Miss Jane, I hope you made yourselves comfortable, because until we signal when is it your time to shine you must stay here." Ripso told the six other birds inside the cargo hold, before he entered the cockpit and greeted his military macaw co-pilot who was eager to meet him. "Hello. Matt Wilson, I presume?" The macaw nodded his head and shook his talon.

"Yes sir, reporting for duty!" Ripso was impressed by the enthusiasm, but chuckled mentally because he knew how much stress this poor fellow must endure in the future. "Please. No 'sir' here. We're going to watch each other's backs, we're equal here. Just call me Ripso."

"Sure thing, Ripso." Matt replied, now using his regular name. After Ripso seated and strapped himself in the chair, he asked about the helicopter just to be sure. "Did you finish the system check?"

"Yes I did. Nothing out of the ordinary, we should be ready to go." He replied, sending the data over to Ripso's visor. After quickly going through the checklist himself, he concluded they were ready to go and contacted air traffic control over radio to begin their part of the mission.

"Mission control, this is Foxtrot one. System and engine check complete, we are ready, asking permission for takeoff, over."

… _Foxtrot one, this is Mission control. Ground units are still reporting resistance, air support is a go. Permission for takeoff granted. Good hunting, Mission control out_ …

The massive hangar doors slowly opened up, once again letting the cold air rush in the building. While it is nowhere near as bad as it was last time, the weather was still far from ideal to perform a mission like this, but such is life. The even heavier dual rotor helicopter lifted off the ground once again and flew outside, soaring above the jungle towards the beach.

* * *

Back at the beach

… _Keep the pressure on!_ … Rafael instructed the ground teams, making it very clear to not stop firing no matter what. From first glance it appeared as their plan worked, because Daniel managed to climb pretty high without being fired upon. The harpy eagle had a very difficult time as he had to judge just how wide the scorpion drone's sight was. A single mistake would end his life as there was no way he could dodge any bullets coming his way.

Fortunately for him, his teammates were doing an excellent job at distracting the drones while he glided through the air, eventually flying above and later on getting behind them, not removing his sight on the robots for a second. When he believed his distance is good enough the eagle halted his forward momentum and flapped his wings in a more coordinated matter to practically hover in the air.

"Echo one to every unit. I'm in position, ready when you are Bravo two." He reported on the radio, grabbing the rifle from his back and taking aim with it. While most rifles were designed to be operated using the wings, it was possible to use it with only talons, although the accuracy would be a trade off. Luckily in this situation that was not a problem, and the spread might even be an advantage in getting the drones attention.

… _Echo one, this is Bravo two. I'm ready to take the shot. Distract them now! Over_ … The verbal conformation was the cue Rafael was looking for to do his part of the job.

… _Alpha leader to every unit. Cease fire. I repeat, cease fire now!_ …

The counterfire stopped immediately, which did not generate any reaction from the Shawax scout drones. They continued to fire regardless, and one could only speculate how many bullets those things must actually have, because the rate of fire was starting to be ridiculous. As the ground teams were anxiously waiting, Daniel collected himself enough to finally draw their attention.

"HEY TIN CANS! OVER HERE!" The eagle shouted as loud as his lungs allowed, pressing the trigger on his weapon and unleashing a continuous stream of bullets, spraying the whole area which did the trick. The robots stopped firing for a moment until they figured out the projectiles were coming from an opposite direction. Realizing the communication drone was completely exposed, the three guardian robots turned around and took their aim on the hovering and completely exposed eagle.

"Ugh. Denis?! It would be a great time to shoot now!" Daniel impatiently informed his fellow bird, growing more anxious every second as the three guardians raised their weapons and took aim towards the eagle. The ground teams hurriedly reloaded their weapons to help out the exposed bird but meanwhile the blue and yellow macaw finally got a clear line of fight and fired his last bullet.

The shot was a complete bullseye, managing to hit the left rocket booster slightly exposed between the metal plating of the tail section. The resulting explosion teared the communication robot to pieces and once again blown the other drones far away from each other. Now that they could not communicate and were on their own, Rafael wasted no time and rushed in.

… _Move out! Rush the targets!_ …

Every bird practically lunged forward from their hiding spots, unleashing hellfire on the currently downed and helpless drones. Each one suffered tremendous damage due to the explosion, unable to properly defend themselves. In less than ten seconds the final drone gave in to the bullet storm and fell down dead and motionless, sinking in slightly in the wet sand under it.

The group slowly approached the now disabled robots, keeping their rifles pointed at them just in case. Denis remained where he was, covering them while the others made sure the drones were indeed harmless. Rafael walked up almost right next to a robot, and using a special function on his Vision scanned the mechanical body, only to get back a negative result. He moved over and scanned every single drone which was not blown to bits and could theoretically turn on.

"Looks like they're all dead." He concluded, finally lowering his rifle, but not before reloading it with a new magazine. Now that everyone somewhat relaxed, the Toco toucan was about to radio in but the faint noise of a helicopter's rotors filled the air from the jungle's direction, catching the attention of every bird. "Alpha leader to mission control. All Shawax targets are neutralized. The landing zone is clear. Over."

… _Mission control to Alpha leader. Foxtrot one is enroute to your location and should be with you momentarily. Any wounded or casualties? Over_ …

"Alpha leader here. No wounded or casualties. Ammunition is running low though. Over." He proudly announced, happy that they managed to get through this fight without losing anyone.

… _Mission control to Alpha leader. Acknowledged, supplies are with Foxtrot one. Sweep the area and guard the Chinook while the diving team locates and attaches the hardware. Over_ …

"Copy that. Resuming area sweep. Alpha leader out." The rest of the ground teams swapped their magazines, some down to their last. They finally managed to spot the helicopter appearing on the horizon, flying towards the beach. A black hawk removed a flare from his backpack and ignited it, the thick smoke quickly raising up in the air, making the helicopter's job much easier.

… _Foxtrot one to Alpha leader, do you copy? Over_ … The voice of Ripso reappeared on the radio, this time from the cockpit of the Chinook helicopter.

"Alpha leader to Foxtrot one. We can hear you loud and clear. Enemies neutralized, you are safe to land. We request ammunition supplies. Over." Rafael answered the radio call as the helicopter fully turned towards them, spotting the now pretty huge smoke trail.

… _Foxtrot one to Alpha leader. Copy that, will be landing any second now. Supplies are on board and ready for use. Stand by_ … The huge helicopter arrived and gently landed on an area which had a lot more stable ground a few meters west from the group. Once the landing gear fully supported the vehicle's weight, the back door opened up revealing the diving team and medic located inside. They carried multiple boxes with them, and the two groups met up half way through.

"No fair. Why do you guys always get the fun missions… Nice job showing those robots who's boss Rafi." Jane commented, observing the pile of destroyed alien robot wreckages a couple of harpy eagles piled up. After the diving team placed down the boxes the ground teams tore them open and began to resupply their ammunition while a few birds kept their eyes on their surroundings.

"Hah. We can get you listed in for the next one if you'd like." The toucan joked, finally letting lose a tiny bit, but got right back to a more serious tone once his men resupplied. He worked out a couple of flight plans his teams must use in order to give as much coverage for the helicopter as possible. While the toucan distributed the paths, the diving team and their medic got back to the helicopter and removed a bunch of equipment from a storage box and inserted it to the outer hull of the aircraft.

This strange equipment is basically a refurbished RADAR dish, with a pair of sonar sensors which could be lowered into the water. Once the co-pilot confirmed the devices work as intended, the helicopter lifted off the ground and slowly made its way towards the ocean, stopping about a hundred meters from shore. Using the radio and sound waves, the devices began to map the bottom of the shore, penetrating way deeper than what the stirred up water would allow light to travel. Thanks to Echo team's observations of the scout drones before their attack, Ripso was able to shrink the area they needed to search. This turned out to be really helpful, as less than ten minutes into the search the sonar picked up an anomaly.

Ripso lowered the helicopter and broke his search pattern to move towards the anomaly's source. Sure enough, a very indistinguishable shape formed on the monitor, and after CASSIDY compared it to the dimensions of both objects they were looking for, a match was found.

"Mission control, this is Foxtrot one. We have confirmed the location of one of our objectives. We found the Hopper. Over." The blue macaw reported, waiting for further instructions.

… _Foxtrot one, this is Mission control. Your location has been saved. Continue your search for the raptor. Ground teams reporting no contact. Over_ …

"Copy that. Resuming search pattern now. Foxtrot one out." The helicopter turned around to continue the designated search pattern but a minute later banked to the left, going off course once again. The unexpected detour caught the military macaw by surprise and wasted no time trying to find out the reason. "Huh? Why are we changing direction again?"

"Cassidy noted the location and ran a simulation. She thinks the raptor crashed much closer to the shore in that direction. I trust her calculations way more than my own." The blue macaw explained his decision to his partner, who just nodded in return, as there was not much he could say to that. As time passed and they got closer and closer to the beach, Matt started to have doubts and was about to question the AI's judgement but refrained from doing so. He would later thank himself, as moments later he would be proven wrong.

As expected, the equipment once again alerted the crew of something unusual resting on the sea floor. After closer examination and doing repeated sweeps a clear image got displayed on the screen, showing the definitive outlines of an Alliance Fleet Recon Raptor. "There she is." Ripso said to no one in particular.


	16. Operation: Rising Star Part 3

**Chapter 15**

Operation: Rising Star Part 3

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

"Mission control, this is Foxtrot one. We have located the crashed raptor. Requesting permission to deploy diving team. Over." Ripso spoke over the wireless, eagerness and excitement in his voice. He couldn't wait to receive the go ahead.

… _Foxtrot one, this is Mission control. Location marked, you are clear to proceed. Deploy diving team and keep us posted. Over_ …

"Copy that Mission control. Deploying now. Foxtrot one out." The pilot replied, after which he caught the co-pilot's attention and requested that he should take over the controls. The military macaw nodded and took control over the aircraft while the blue macaw walked back into the cargo hold to relay the news.

"Alright people. We found both the Hopper and raptor. Currently we are hovering above the raptor, get ready to dive. I'll send over the outside schematics so you can know where to attach it to the helicopter's chains. Be sure to send me live video feed from the Visions so I can inspect it before we do anything with it. Questions?" After waiting for a few seconds without any reply, he concluded everyone understood what they must do.

"OK then. Matt, open the back door!" The military macaw obeyed the command and pressed a red button on his side of the console. A bright red light and blaring alarm filled the cargo hold's interior as the massive back door slowly opened up, revealing the outside world to the occupants. The velvet scoters did one last check on their diving gear, turned on their Visions and synced it up with each other. After Ripso confirmed everything is working as intended, he signaled the group to walk to the edge of the door. Seconds later the light turned green, meaning it is safe to go. The diving team leaped forward, splashing in the cold water below.

"Golf leader to Foxtrot one, we are submerged. Awaiting regroup and then will proceed to the cashed raptor. No visual yet. Over." The duck reported the successful arrival, waiting for his teammates to form up on him before he swims deeper to their objective.

… _Golf leader this is Foxtrot one, copy that. Phase two is a go. Keep us posted on what you find. Foxtrot one out_ … Ripso replied, launching the second phase of Operation Rising Star. He pressed a button on the side of the helicopter which closed up the back door as there was no reason for it to be open. "Jane, give me that laptop over there. I need to split the screen up so we can see the whole of Golf team." The Lear's macaw reached over to grab the required device and handed it over to the blue macaw. "Thanks." He thanked her.

"So we just watch what they see until we spot your crashed ship?" She questioned, bringing her own computer next to his while splitting up her own screen to accommodate all six members of Golf team. Ripso nodded, to the disappointment of Jane. "I know you want to do more but you're a medic. We will do our jobs good if you stay bored. And I'm going to make damn sure that stays that way."

* * *

Underwater

Golf leader slowly but steadily swam deeper and deeper, fighting the different currents along the way. According to Ripso and Matt, the crashed vehicle should be around here, but it was very hard to see as the hurricane stirred up the water so much you could barely see a few meters in front of you. Thankfully the deeper you went the clearer the water became, making their job easier.

… _Golf leader this is Golf six, reporting something strange on the seafloor in front of me. Over_ …

The velvet scoter turned around to find his teammate, and after swimming next to him he could spot the same outlines on the floor through the less dense water. He brought up the raptor's picture and after comparing the images he concluded it must be their objective. Using his wings, he urged the others to follow his lead, as they slowly and carefully approached the shape. After swimming about twenty meters they could finally see enough to really confirm the identity.

… _Golf six this is Foxtrot one. Good job, you found the objective. Golf team, be advised, vehicle might be leaking fuel, proceed with caution. Sweep the area before beginning inspection. Foxtrot one out_ … Ripso confirmed it was indeed the raptor they were after. Three velvet scoters moved around the wreckage to make sure the coast is clear. Meanwhile the others swam closer to get a good view of this futuristic space ship. Even though it basically crash landed it looked like the ship was in relative good condition.

… _Golf two reporting. The coast is clear, can't see anything out of the ordinary. Golf two, three and four will stay and watch the perimeter. Over_ …

"Copy that Golf two. Everyone else, let's move in. Golf leader out." The rest of the diving birds moved in and made sure to catch every angle of the crashed ship so that Ripso can assert the vessel's condition. Golf leader got braver and after peeking inside through the door which was previously opened up by CASSIDY, the velvet scoter swam inside the spaceship to get a closer look. Down here the light levels were pretty dark so he had to grab the underwater light torch and turn it on to illuminate the cabin.

* * *

Inside the helicopter

"Looks like most of the internal components survived the flooding. If we are lucky, we might even get away with only replacing a few boards altogether." The blue macaw explained with a slight relief, thinking the situation would be way worse. Then again, these are only first glances, there might be bigger problems underneath the panels and screens.

"And what about the engines? They are the things that use all that fancy high tech stuff right?" Jane asked, observing the back of the raptor where the engines looked like pile of junk rather than something which generates propulsion. The blue macaw glanced over but did not seem too worried.

"Believe it or not the engines are not that complicated to repair. The real question is the condition of the FTL drive. That would be a pain in the ass to fix. But if I remember correctly most of the damage was absorbed by the hull and engine compartments." He reassured her concerns. After making sure they got all angles and the macaw couldn't find a structural weak point, he picked up the radio to inform the diving birds of his decision. "Foxtrot one to Golf leader. Looks OK to me, deploying the safety net and magnetic lift. Get ready. Over."

… _Golf leader here. Roger that. Awaiting magnetic lift. Golf leader out_ …

"Jane, help me carry the safety net to the door." The blue macaw asked the female for help, who got up from her previous sitting position and walked over to a small crate that was stashed to the side until now. The two birds removed the lid and pulled out the safety net they will have to use. Neither of them were ready for the weight but managed to carry it to the edge of the metal door. The Lear's macaw pressed the button next to her to once again open the back door. As the metal frame started to open up, Ripso moved back to another crate and removed the sturdy magnetic lift they will use to attach the raptor to the weight lifting chains.

"Matt! Get us as low as you are comfortable with." The currently helicopter pilot did as he was told and decreased the Chinook's altitude. As the storm ravaged water surface came closer and closer, the macaws could finally spot the members of Golf team who got back to the surface to get the necessary gear for the job. Thankfully no bird was directly below them, so they could just throw it off the edge. The two macaws counted down from five and pushed the heavy net off the helicopter, watching as it splashed in the ocean.

Although it was heavy, the buoyancy force helped it sink slowly instead of plummeting straight down, possibly hurting someone who could've been under it. Three members of the diving team grabbed the edges, taking full control over the equipment. As they moved over to make space, the blue macaw thrown the final magnetic lift part down next. Once they confirmed that they secured the second piece, Ripso turned towards Jane again. "OK, we need to tie together the two weight lifting chains on the side of the Chinook. Ready?"

"Ready." The Lear's macaw responded, and the two birds flew outside the helicopter to get the job done. They had to be extra cautious because the storm's winds and the helicopter's blades made the area around the vehicle dangerous. Despite this, the two macaws slowly flew around next to the sheaves located on both sides. After grabbing the end of the cable, both of them flew under the helicopter to meet up under the middle. Meanwhile two divers raised the magnetic lift above the surface of the water.

The duo yanked the cables to allow them to fly even lower, until the length was enough to drop the cables in the water. Since they were next to each other, the diving team could easily catch both and attach it to the magnetic lift, completing the required equipment for the operation. When the captain made sure that Golf team had everything they needed, he nodded to Jane and both macaws flew back inside the helicopter.

Jane closed the back door as there was no real use for it to be open anymore. Ripso returned back to the cockpit and sat down. After requesting, the military macaw returned the controls to the blue macaw, and the helicopter climbed higher to wait for the diving team to do their part.

* * *

Underwater

The members of Golf team dived under once again, now equipped with the necessary tools to actually lift the crashed spaceship and raise it above the surface. The sheaves were let completely loose, making it easy for them to get to the raptor with the magnetic lift. A couple of ducks stayed behind, cleaning the hull of the ship to make the process as effective as possible.

Another made sure to clear the floor around it, as the safety net must be placed under the vessel as soon as it starts getting lifted and they wanted no obstructions. Golf leader swam directly above the raptor and found a large enough area where the whole surface of the lift can be placed. After they laid it down along the surface, the diver radioed in. "Golf leader to Foxtrot one. Magnetic lift is placed down. Turn it on. Over."

… _Foxtrot one to Golf leader. Powering on lift now. Stand by_ …

A few moments later a clicking sound could be heard as the magnetic lift powered up and moved around a bit, finding a perfect part to attach itself to the outer hull of the spaceship. Above the water, the helicopter performed micro adjustments, flying directly above the crash site to minimalize the stress placed on the double cables.

Once the cables were technically perpendicular to the raptor, the helicopter's engines increased their thrust, forcing the helicopter to climb higher. The sheaves were locked in place, and as a result the recon ship underwater slowly but steadily started to be lifted above the sea floor. The diving team kept a very close watch over it, to make sure the connection is sturdy enough to fully support the spaceship. Once the distance between the raptor and the seafloor was greater than a meter, Golf leader gave permission to deploy the safety net. Three velvet scoters rushed below the raptor, dragging the net with them.

When it was completely in the center, the birds moved up and tied it's ends over the magnetic lift's base. Now the added support was enough that everyone was comfortable with raising up the delicate ship from the depths which was its home for the past few days. "Golf leader to Foxtrot one. Safety net successfully installed. No visible damage or weak points. Over."

… _Golf leader, this is Foxtrot one. Roger that. Hopper location now marked on your Vision, proceed to move to its location. Foxtrot one out_ …

The group of divers followed the spaceship as it was raised to the surface faster and faster. Not too long after they could barely keep up with it and before they realized, the raptor finally broke the water's surface, becoming 'airborne' once again. They waited for a few more seconds to make sure the cables will indeed not snap. The Chinook turned around and bent forward, flying towards the Hopper's location. The members of Golf team followed them as closely as possible.

* * *

Inside the helicopter

"The mechanics were not joking when they said the cables will hold both weights. The load is only about 45% and there is still water pouring out from the raptor's cabin. If we can pull this off with one trip, drinks on me." The blue macaw pilot promised, earning a chuckle from the military macaw co-pilot. He was surprised how direct he is towards them, not acting so highly or full of himself as he showed that first day. "Be careful what you promise Ripso, or you will actually have to take a job here to pay off all that debt before you jump back to your home."

As the two macaws continued to fool around, Jane noticed they should get in contact with Rafael as agreed when planning the mission. Seeing as the two males were too busy making jokes, she decided to refresh their memory. "Sorry to ruin your fun boys, but isn't there something you forgot to do?" She questioned the duo, and the pilot remembered immediately. "Oh shoot. I mean, oh right."

"Foxtrot one to Alpha leader. Raptor is collected, we are moving towards the Hopper as we speak. Sitrep please. How are things going on over there? Over." He contacted the Toco toucan over the radio.

… _Foxtrot one, this is Alpha leader. No enemy contacts encountered. Patrols reporting no problem. Anything noteworthy on your end? Over_ …

"Foxtrot one here, nothing to report. Just making sure. Will contact you if we require assistance. Foxtrot one out." The rest of the trip was uneventful with conversation, as every bird had a sudden increase of workload. Jane had to coordinate Golf team who had to actively combat currents while swimming towards the container. In the cockpit things turned harder as the wind started to pick up speed for some unknown reason, making both birds concentrate their effort on piloting the helicopter. Although he didn't want to admit it to hurt the expedition leader, this Matt Rogers was way better at assisting flying than Blu was during Pedro's rescue.

Minutes later the dual rotor helicopter arrived over the supposed location of the Hopper, and they switched to a hover position while waiting for Golf team to arrive on the site. Because the Chinook now had something to carry, Matt had to monitor the cables at all times and do micro adjustments to make sure they don't experience more stress than what they need to. Because of this, Jane had to release the second magnetic lift all by herself. She picked it up from the crate and moved it next to the door to make her job easier.

She waited patiently as the diving team finally arrived to the location and gave her the go ahead. The Lear's macaw moved over to the side of the cargo hold and opened up the back door. This time however she had to be extra careful where she drops the equipment, as they were much higher than last time due to carrying the raptor. After judging the winds and other factors, she pushed the magnetic lift over the edge, watching as it splashed into the water seconds later.

* * *

Diving team

Golf two caught the lift after it hit the water, and gave a thumbs up to his teammates. The leader made sure to radio in the helicopter so they will know what's up. "Golf leader to Foxtrot one. Second magnetic lift acquired, diving under water now. Over." He signaled the others to advance forward, but calling a fellow duck to stay on the surface. "Golf five, fly up and reroute the second cable so we can connect the pieces. As soon as you got it come down with us."

… _Golf five to Golf leader. Roger that. On my way. Over_ … The diver wasted no time and practically jumped out of the water, the oily substance which covered his feathers instantly getting rid of every drop of water, allowing the bird to fly. A feat that was impossible to do for most bird species. As the others dived under, he flew on top of the first magnetic lift, and just as instructed, carefully let one of the cables loose. Not enough to disconnect the whole thing, but loose enough that he could drag it behind him. Since Jane was still seeing the live feed from their Visions, she knew she had to inform the co-pilot to let one of the sheaves unlock so it can be freely extended.

"Matt, unlock the right sheave. Golf five has it and wants to drag it down!" The military macaw heard her clear and checked his controls to find the right sheave's switch. He pressed the button which unlocked it, allowing the duck to use it. Of course, this meant the left side had to be tampered with as it now had to support extra weight, so it was crucial that they finish the underwater job as fast as possible.

Golf five grabbed the end using his left talon and jumped down, splashing into the water once again and swimming straight down. While he followed the others on his Vision's minimap, the rest of Golf team already located the container and cleaned the surrounding area. Ripso took a look and confirmed it looked OK, as this was an Alliance grade heavy weight container, in paper it should be able to survive tons of TNT. A very interesting surprise was the fact that the magnetic seals stayed on the container instead of falling off, which even CASSIDY got wrong in her initial report.

Right now, they did not have time to ponder over this, so the diving team got to work. This time they didn't have to think too much about where to attach the magnetic lift as it was just a rectangular box. Golf leader placed down the lift and just in time, as Golf five arrived with the cable in his talon. He gave it over to the team leader who got right to work and connected the thick steel cable wire to the electromagnet. Once he made sure everything was rigid and strong, he radioed in. "Golf leader to Foxtrot one. Hopper is connected. Give it some power. Over."

… _Foxtrot one to Golf leader. Powering on lift now. Stand by_ …

The electromagnet activated moments later, firmly attaching itself to the container's top. After a few seconds the helicopter began to increase its altitude once again, slowly lifting the container with it. This time there was no need for a safety net so the divers followed it until it broke the surface. Golf leader ordered everyone to finally leave the water, and the six birds spread their wings before taking off into the sky. Meanwhile Matt started to roll the right sheave, resulting in the Hopper distancing itself from the water's surface while the helicopter did not go higher. When the container was only a few meters from the raptor, Golf leader ordered the co-pilot to stop.

Once the cable was no longer moving, he flew in and tightened the second cable around the first magnetic lift, once again securing both and finally distributing the weight efficiently. The military macaw could see this was the tension on the left cable decreased, and he knew from that point onward they can operate it normally. Jane got to work and opened up the back door once again, allowing the six diving members to finally fly inside and take a small break. When the last velvet scoter flew in, the Lear's macaw closed the door, shielding the still somewhat wet birds from the cold winds.

The medic got right to her true work and sat all six birds down while she performed the routine checkups on all of them. Thankfully with the exception of fatigue, every diver appeared to be in perfect condition, no sign of any immediate issues that would require medical attention. The macaws in the cockpit ran through the cargo check one last time to make sure it will be in one piece during the whole trip. They decided it was enough and finally bent the helicopter forward, flying back towards the shore.

"Foxtrot one to Mission control. The Raptor and Hopper is attached and we are currently heading back towards base. Requesting sitrep. Over." Matt contacted home base, and the response came in quick with Blu's voice on the other end.

… _Mission control to Foxtrot one. Acknowledged. Ground teams reporting no enemy contact. You are clear to proceed. The hangar is cleared and ready for you. Mission control out_ …

As the helicopter got closer to the shore, Ripso checked the cable lengths and realized the cargo is a bit too low. "Matt, raise the cables please. I don't want to smash the recon raptor or the Hopper into the treetops after all the hassle we went through." He got right to work and seconds later the sheaves started to roll and raise the cargo closer to the helicopter, changing the overall weight distribution of the Chinook. The pilot corrected for the continuously shifting weight so well, it was practically unnoticeable for the occupants.

"Foxtrot one to every ground team. Extraction is complete. Phase three commencing now. Regroup and cover us. Over." The pilot ordered over the radio, receiving a proper response from the Toco toucan as soon as they heard the order.

… _Alpha leader to Foxtrot one. Copy that, regrouping on the Chinook now. Consider yourselves covered. Alpha leader out_ …

Rafael was telling the truth, because suddenly every bird from ground team broke their patrol path and moved towards the helicopter, from their current speed they should be with the dual rotor helicopter within the next minute. All they had to do now was get back to the hangar in one piece and Rising Star is officially a success. The pilots did not relax though, as a surprise attack was still very likely to happen. The Shawax will try to figure out what happened and will know a force exists who can oppose them.

* * *

Mission control

Blu and Jewel monitored the position of the Chinook at all times, and were relieved when they heard the good news about the extraction process. Hopefully nothing bad will happen in this last but critical ten minutes. Blu double checked the new SAM batteries to make sure they really do work and recognize friendlies correctly. The last thing they need is their own weapons to fire on them. By now the ground teams regrouped and closely followed the helicopter, giving it maximum protection. Realizing there is not much he can do from here, he got up from this chair and looked at Jewel. "Not much else we can do. Want to come down to the hangar with me?"

"Yeah. Let's go!" She agreed, getting up and rolling her chair under the table. As the two macaws walked towards the hangar, they could see activity spiking up around them. The news that the Chinook is on its way back and got the objectives it needed filled everyone with confidence. Everyone wanted this to be over with as fast as possible. Once the couple got to the hangar's entrance, the could see a group of puffins bringing in a large mobile landing pad, probably for the raptor and a larger metallic crane to transport the container.

The staff got everything in place just in time, as the hangar's alarms were brought to life, easily grabbing everyone's attention. The gigantic metal doors slowly opened up, and a familiar shape of a helicopter appeared over the horizon, flying towards them really fast. Under it two larger objects were dangling in the wind. Those two things are apparently worth more than every bird's life in this base. At least according to the bird from the future.

Suddenly a flock of birds emerged from the jungle foliage, and the members of Echo, Delta and Charlie team flew inside and landed on the floor, their senses still honed in on detecting possible enemies. The helicopter decreased its speed to avoid crashing into the building like last time. The three ground teams moved to the side to allow the Chinook to fly in without obstructions. Once the body was completely inside the hangar, the giant doors started to close. Alpha and Bravo team flew in last, but they flew directly below the currently hovering helicopter.

The mechanic staff got to work and moved the container transporting crane near the Hopper itself. A black hawk flew over to the magnetic lift and deactivated it, resulting in the lift dropping the container a few centimeters. The crane rolled over and a pair of mechanics quickly attached it to the metal arms, after which they slowly rolled it away for storage. Alpha team then flew on top of the raptor, and untied the safety net, making it slip over and fall down to the ground. Bravo team grabbed it and dragged it away.

The mechanic crew then pulled in the mobile landing platform, and the crashed raptor slowly got lowered down until its weight was no longer supported by the thick cables above it. Rafael turned off the final magnetic lift and with that both objects were securely delivered. The Chinook flew over a few dozen meters and after rolling up both sheaves, it finally touched down, cutting power for the two powerful engines. The back door opened up, and its occupants walked out, exhausted but proud.

By now a lot of people arrived at the hangar to see the end of the mission, and once the helicopter crew met up with the ground troops, Blu initiated a slow clap. After a few claps, more and more birds joined in until the giant building was storming and echoing with claps and cheers. The group smiled at the applause, and just for the sake of it stood up straight and saluted, marking the official end of Operation Rising Star as a success.

* * *

 **We got our spaceship back, _this is where the fun begins_. It also means we are about maybe 40% through the story now, so... yay I guess?**


	17. Insurance for extra dimensional damage?

**Chapter 16**

Insurance for extra dimensional damage?

 **Disclaimer**

 _I do not own Rio, nor any element inspirited by Battlestar Galactica, Crysis, Mass Effect or any other series._

* * *

It was only hours since operation Rising Star ended, but the activity barely dropped inside the research base. Similarly to Pedro's rescue mission, the brave birds who fought the Shawax scout drones were immediately transported to the medical wing along with the diving team. Apart from a few bruises and cuts, everyone survived miraculously. While they were sent to go back to their quarters to have some much earned rest, the doctors made sure everyone will receive mandatory counseling.

So far, the Shawax as a threat was only present in the verbal language of Ripso, but now it materialized and could actually hurt them or even worse. Rafael wanted to make sure everyone was supported both physically and mentally. Inside the hangar birds were swarming the area, many were interested to see the legendary spaceship up close.

Unfortunately for them, Ripso got the mechanics to raise curtains and barricade the area where the sensitive equipment and two Alliance properties were located. Only people with high authority or clearance could enter. The engineers were delighted when they heard they can take a look at the Recon Raptor, even though the blue macaw and CASSIDY actively kept everything as vague as possible.

Blu walked in front of the make shift entrance, and was let inside instantly without question. The blue macaw made his way towards the wrecked raptor and could see a couple of mechanics cutting down, unscrewing or removing parts of the ship in some way. Ripso was busy inside the cabin, dislocating broken or fried electronic components.

"This is fried too. Junk." He exclaimed to no one in particular, throwing some sort of motherboard on a pile next to the door. He dug deeper inside the electronic device, sorting cables and testing different components. As the expedition leader got close enough to the door, the pilot caught a glimpse of him when breaking another chip to pieces.

"Blu! How can I help you?" He greeted the macaw, getting a similar response in return. Blu observed the pile of junk in front of him, and couldn't help but ask why would he throw out so much of these components when they are probably way more advanced than what they can create. "All of this is junk? Will there be any electronics left inside that thing when you're done?"

"Hopefully. I already checked the nav computer. That thing is sturdy as hell and sure enough it survived without a scratch. Life support is busted but that is easily fixable. Targeting computers are dead but that can be fixed if Cassidy figures out how to manufacture a few components." He listed every major part of a raptor's electronics. Blu could only nod as he didn't really have a clue how complex each system was.

"Ok, so you got the computer part covered. What about the engines? Hull?" He questioned further, now running his gaze around the spaceship, noting the complete lack of engines and cracked, bent hull plates covering the ship. Ripso removed a final piece of fried motherboard, throwing it on the top of the pile before closing up the whole casing. More than likely he was done assessing the damage regarding the computers.

"Engines were practically blown away by the fighters. I knew that even before we crashed. Fuel tank survived and almost full. My only hope is that the FTL drive is still in good condition. The structural integrity is still in question, but I'm positive. The outer hull and glass can be replaced. Blown off Gatling guns? That's an issue however." He pondered over the weapon, almost as if he was in distress, but it was hard to read the macaw's expression sometimes.

"Well what's the chance we get in a firefight with the enemy. The solar system is pretty big. Surely guns are not a priority over things like engines no?" Blu attempted to suggest, but the pilot unexpectedly shot a glade towards the leader, slightly making Blu jump. _I must have touched a nerve._ Blu thought.

"That sort mentality almost caused our extinction. Tread very carefully Blu..." Ripso warned, almost growling at the macaw dead seriously. That was a completely new side of him, something Blu didn't enjoy experiencing. While he did make a point, the overreaction was arguably not needed, but he did not want to discuss the issue further.

"Yeah right. Sorry…" He apologized, eagerly trying to find a topic he can divert to. Thankfully the other macaw beat him to it. While Blu mentally processed the reaction, Ripso left the cabin and walked to the back of the ship, climbing up a ladder to see the top back side of the raptor.

"Want to see a real life working faster than light jump drive?" Again, the sudden change in tone back to normal caught him off guard, even though this change was much more appreciated. The expedition leader just nodded and climbed up beside him, looking for anything that might even resemble his concept of an FTL drive. Instead he found nothing but a cracked hull panel. Ripso whistled over to a pelican, who seemed to know exactly what to do.

He ran towards the back and soon enough returned with another mobile crane. He was curious what they wanted to do with it but realized it later when Ripso helped the pelican attach the hooks to the broken hull plate. With the quick but powerful motion of the crane's arms, the already broken hull plate disconnected from the spaceship without much problem.

Now the pilot could see a more sturdier metal frame, which actually did not fully touch the hull plate that was attached to it originally. Instead, it had a different shape, almost like if it hid something. Sure enough, Ripso grabbed something that looked like a latch and twisted it around. The previously rigid body of metal loosened up, allowing the macaw to open them up like a double door easily without any mechanical help.

"Oh, OK. That looks like a possible FTL drive." Blu concluded, peeking inside the hidden interior. An array of delicate looking machinery, surrounded by rails of pipes and cables, all connecting to two central cylinders. A cylinder was made from two parts, connected by something that looked like a really dense bladed fan. However, a noticeable difference between these devices was that one was apparently bent out of shape. It looked like it suffered some sort of blunt hit by something.

"Yeah... But that thing is not pretty…" Ripso expressed his displeasure, inspecting the whole contraption. "Cassidy, diagnosis?" The pilot questioned his personal AI for assistance. She assessed the damage in milliseconds, after which it explained it to the blue macaws. " _The left stabilization generator was damaged by something. Most probable cause being an external explosion getting through the raptor's armor. It cannot generate the necessary field projection, and without the sync FTL jump is not possible._ "

Blu was dumb folded of course, while the pilot just mentally nodded. He was no expert in either engineering or physics, but he had a basic overview how FTL worked. "Any suggestions how to fix it?" CASSIDY wasted no time in giving the answer, as she already formulated it while the two birds were busy processing her words. " _Yes. The primary cylinder has to be replaced completely. Only problem is, the internal components require deurinium metal to function correctly. No known source can be found on Earth._ "

"Then how can we get some?" Blu questioned the AI, as her answer was not exactly too helpful in solving their situation. As useful that raptor can be if fixed, the ultimate goal is to send back Ripso and the only way to effectively do that is if they have a working FTL drive. " _We can't. On the other hand, we still have the container loaded with the Hopper inside. According to my databanks, the device should contain multiple field generator cylinders to operate. These are standard size, meaning we could switch one out to allow us to get our FTL back._ "

"I don't really like the sound of that, but Cassidy is right. We need to gut the Hopper and get this working. Otherwise we can't really solve any issues." Ripso agreed with the AI, explaining his reasoning to the other macaw. Outnumbered and ultimately having way less context and knowledge, Blu agreed with them.

"Alright. Do what you have to do." The expedition leader gave his permission, which allowed Ripso to call in for help. The container was an Alliance military grade safe, capable of surviving hundreds of kilos of TNT. While the sides were locked via digital encryption, CASSIDY known several Alliance bypasses as part of her operation parameters. Hopefully one of them can unlock it. While a group of mechanics set up the scene to open up the container, a familiar Toco toucan joined them by surprise. Blu turned around just as Rafael got within hearing range.

"Rafael! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" The toucan shook his head at the question, walking next to the two blue macaws as they watched the mechanics do their part of the work. "I should. But I don't feel that tired, plus I wanted to see how the hardware is doing we risked our lives for." Rafael admitted, curious about the raptor which apparently can travel between the stars if its pilot wished to.

Although at this point the vessel was almost completely stripped from the other hull and other damaged components, the construction told a story of careful balancing between both vacuum and atmospheric functionality. He was very curious what the ship can do once fully repaired. But after glancing over to the junk pile, he started to have doubts if they have the necessary tools to repair everything.

A scarlet macaw grabbed the attention of the group, showing a thumbs up in the process. Ripso just nodded his head, understanding they finished their job and it was his, or rather CASSIDY's turn. The pilot walked over to the side which was facing them and after glancing through the hull managed to spot a small rectangle. Using his wingtips to wiggle the plate free, he was greeted with a well known lock pad design used by the Alliance. "Cassidy dear, do your magic will ya?"

As the AI started the override, the lock pad suddenly flashed to life and displayed multiple windows, messages and other visual information in quick succession. Obviously, it was not for birds to understand or view. The group's patience paid off, because after about twenty seconds of continuous flashing, the small display screen finally stopped and glowed bright green.

 **"Emergency Alliance override accepted. Releasing seals."** A different female voice exclaimed, and the sound of metal clamps releasing followed shortly after. The previously rigid body frame turned loose like the raptor's FTL engine compartment. Ripso looked at the mechanics, signaling them to go ahead.

The mechanic crew placed magnetic clamps on the different sides of the container and pulled on them, opening up the previously sealed container. For the first time, everyone including Ripso could finally see the device which hopped a macaw across realities. The closest thing to it was a naked jet engine and a standard FTL engine mix, three field generators surrounded by wires and cables with a giant gyroscope looking device at the center. The form screamed prototype.

Unfortunately for the group, it seems like not even this sturdy container could protect this delicate engine from damage. Two of the field generators were cracked while the third broke off completely. There were also multiple broken wires and cables hanging down. It also appeared that some sort of fluid leaked out, trashing the entire platform the Hopper rested on.

It was wrapped around multiple layers of a clear foil. _That must be the insulator Alena was talking about._ Ripso thought to himself, before his eyes caught something out of the ordinary. A giant tear around the top. _And that is what caused it to overload._ He concluded, finally walking next to the engine, inspecting the damage in greater detail. Right now, the only thing he was interested in was the three field generators health. The two which were still attached to the engine were useless, but a small glimpse of hope appeared as he walked to the other side to check the third.

Apparently, it broke off on the small support rods it was connected to, and a bunch of wires caught it, saving it from fracturing by hitting something with big force. The blue macaw slashed the insulating foil as it was useless now anyways and carefully grabbed the still intact field generator. He disconnected every cable and pipe which was connected to it, freeing the component from the Hopper completely.

"Is that what we need to fix the FTL drive?" Blu asked the blue macaw, who nodded in conformation. He placed the field generator down on a table and turned back towards Rafael and Blu. "That's it for my shift. Your crew will take over the disassembly process from here. I need to stop by the medical guys to do a blood test. Got anything else for me to do in the mean time?"

"Well uh. Nothing I can think of. If you are going to the medical wing; We broke the news to Pedro once he got better, and he handled it pretty well. He'd like to meet you." Rafael proposed, remembering the cardinal wanted to speak to one of his alleged saviors. Ripso thought about it for a moment, and concluded it was only fair to at least properly introduce himself. He agreed and with that the three birds left the barricaded area of the hangar.

The medical wing was a bit more stuffed than usual, as those who suffered injuries were asked to stay for at least one day before they were allowed to go back to their quarters. As the trio moved across the room, they couldn't help but over hear an exchange between a black hawk and a frustrated Lear's macaw.

"God damn it John, if you move one more time, I'm going to sedate your sorry… butt and do it that way." A very annoyed Jane threatened the black hawk, who suffered a pretty big cut during one of his cover switching. "Hey, I can't help it. It stings like mother fucker." John tried to defend himself, as the disinfecting was a lot more painful than what he was used to. "First, watch your language. Second, quit being such a baby. Now hold still." Jane retorted, tired of the excuses.

While the scene was amusing, the group continued their way towards the end of the room where the red cardinal was located. It looks like they timed their arrival just perfect, because the doctors were getting ready to finally release Pedro. Of course, Nico was already there, happy to see his 'brother' free.

"Ah man, finally you leave this place! We have hours upon hours of work to finish up, then we need to continue the song. I hope you got enough sleep because you will not get that for the next few days." The yellow canary joked with his de facto brother, bumping his right wing's 'elbow' with the cardinal's shoulder.

"Now Nico, we don't need to stress out the man more than needed." Blu spoke up as his group walked over towards the duo, earning a slight chuckle from both birds before they greeted him in unison.

"Yeah, probably right." The yellow canary replied with a faked disappointing tone. Pedro then noticed the other blue macaw who was not familiar to him at all. It didn't take him long to figure out who the mystery macaw could be.

"Hello. Name is Ripso. I'm happy to see you are well and healthy." The macaw introduced himself, extending a talon towards the cardinal. Pedro was cautious but kept his usually positive attitude, accepting the talon shake.

"Pedro. Thanks for saving me. Too bad I was unconscious, heard the fly back was quite a ride." The group chuckled at the humorous comment. Their moment was over when a flamingo walked up to them.

"Excuse me, Captain Ripso?" The flamingo asked, addressing the blue macaw. The pilot confirmed his identity. "Yes. It is me."

"We are ready to take the blood sample. This way, please." The flamingo requested. The captain looked back towards the group before nodding his head. "Doc's calling, gotta go. It was nice meeting you, try not to get hit by a pole again."

"Aye, aye sir." Pedro did a quick less than professional salute but it got a few chuckles out of the group. A bit later the cardinal was finally released from the medical wing, and the group dissipated soon after. Blu went over to the cafeteria to get a few bites to eat, finishing up dozens of reports along the way. A few hours later he concluded the medical shift was done and rose up from his seat to find a particular bird.

Blu walked up to the room's door, contemplating if he should really bother her or not. The sudden aggressive behavior was concerning him, and he had to find out if that was a single incident or just the first he saw. The blue macaw knocked on the door three times, listening closely if he could hear any movement inside the room. He indeed did, and soon after the door opened up, revealing the Lear's macaw behind it.

"Blu, surprised to see you here. What can I help you with?" She asked the blue macaw, not expecting him to show up at her door. He just nodded with his head and she let him in, closing the door behind her. He walked over towards the center of the room, before turning around to face the Lear's macaw who still had no idea what was going on.

"I know this will sound stupid… But I need to ask you something. Have you… noticed anything strange about Ripso?" He questioned her, trying to nudge her towards the information he is interested in without influencing her thoughts. She was taken back for a moment, deep in thought about the question. It didn't take her long to realize what the blue macaw could mean.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Sudden mood swings?" She confirmed, asking Blu about the behavior he might be referring to. Blu didn't say anything once again, just nodded. Waiting for the female to shed some light on the issue. Sadly, that information was not enough for Jane to give him any noteworthy explanation, so she queried him more. "What was his mood before and after? Sad, depressed?" The blue macaw shook his head.

"No. He was neutral. Then turned angry. So angry he practically growled at me." The female's eyes widened at the response. "Growled?" She asked once again, making sure she heard it right, even though it was a poetic question. "Well uh. That is unexpected. What was the topic that caused it?"

"He was done removing some broken computer parts, and I asked what was the overall situation. He told the engines were gone, most of the computers were dead and the main weapons were destroyed. He was really worried about the weapons. I suggested he should focus on the propulsion instead, that's when he snapped." Blu explained the incident with as much detail as possible and that helped the Lear's macaw to isolate the issue pretty fast.

"When I was talking to him at the party, he got depressed when I asked about his time back with the fleet. I think he has undiagnosed early stage PTSD. With his background and all, who knows what fucked up shit he saw." She concluded, a bit relieved she could finally share this with someone. Better yet, that someone was the expedition leader himself. Now that she knows that was not an isolated incident, she will have to formulate some kind of treatment plan. No way can they let him continue with a condition which could snap any second.

"What do you propose we do?" Blu asked her, as she could make a far more educated decision with her medical knowledge than he can. "I'm going to have to make a treatment plan for him. Until that is done, try to avoid any topics which could lead back to his military past if possible." She stated, reassuring the macaw she knows and will work to solve the issue. The blue macaw thought he interrupted the female long enough, and thanked her help.

After exchanging goodbyes, Blu walked up into the communication tower to finish up his work for the day. He didn't have much to do, just look through a few reports and give or deny permission to certain things. Pedro almost fully recovered, the diving and ground teams are all OK, and the Alliance hardware is secured. All he needed now was for the mechanics to send up the report what needs to be manufactured the repair the recon raptor.

As he sat down at his own personal work PC to read reports, conveniently Ripso walked in with a rather long paper in his wings. He gave it to Blu once they got within wing's reach of each other. The expedition leader looked through the list and was surprised how many things they needed. Fortunately, most pieces were smaller electronics, and the larger objects like hull plates could be produced in bulk. The only complicated parts were the two side main engines and the Gatling guns.

"Sorry to bother you with this, but the guys in the replicator room refused to start making them until you give the go ahead." The pilot apologized for the disturbance, but Blu was happy that his staff still obeyed the chain of command even in a situation like this. He grabbed a pen from his desk and signed the sheet of paper, handing it back to the blue macaw. "No problem. Here you go."

* * *

 **Good news everybody! I've been combating writers block for a while now and it looks like it is starting to lift. In fact, I'm so confident, I'm drafting a _new story_ on the side as we speak. All I can say is it is an AU but unlike this where it is just a cluster fuck of different franchise elements put together, it will be entirely based on Rio 'lore' with a bit of human ingenuity mixed in. Stay tuned for that!**


End file.
